The phenomenon is nothing if not spectacular. Image Credit: YouTube / European Space Agency
Scientists have recorded footage of a spectacular natural phenomenon that is only clearly visible from space.
Filmed from high above the clouds through cameras aboard the International Space Station, this impressive form of lightning - which appears as a blue vertical column - is usually hard to see.
This particular example, which can be seen in the video below, was captured on February 26th, 2019 shooting out of a thunderstorm cell above the small Pacific island of Nauru.
It was preceded by five distinct flashes lasting mere milliseconds and accompanied by tiny flashes of ultraviolet light - a phenomenon known as 'Elves' (Emissions of Light and Very Low Frequency Perturbations due to Electromagnetic Pulse Source.)
According to scientists, the blue jets themselves occur when a cloud's positively-charged upper region interacts with the negatively-charged boundary between the cloud and the air above it.
There is however still much to learn about this intriguing, yet mysterious phenomenon.
#1 Posted by David Thomson on 25 January, 2021, 16:10
The blue jet is nowhere near as interesting as the planet-wide burst of light that occurred near the edge of space with its expanding circle centered around the blue jet!
#2 Posted by Nosy.Matters on 25 January, 2021, 20:29
So -- a positive puff comes along and promptly . . ZAP ! ? *lightning_emoti*
#1 Posted by David Thomson on 25 January, 2021, 16:10
Mindfulness
