Researchers at the European Southern Observatory’s (ESO) La Silla Observatory in Chile’s Atacama Desert have created a fascinating image. The image (above) shows “Red Sprites,” a special form of lightning over storm clouds, also known as “Red Sprites,” which can barely be seen from the ground.
The image of the so-called Red Goblins was taken from the platform of ESO’s 3.6-metre telescope (pictured below). Its high altitude location – the La Silla observatory is 2400 meters above sea level – and the lack of light pollution make it a perfect place to observe such phenomena. Not only do the red flashes occur at much higher elevations than regular white flashes, they also have much lower temperatures and are usually much fainter. Therefore, their glow is also very difficult to perceive.
Lightning is barely perceptible from the ground
“Red sprites” are lightning bolts that strike from about 50 to nearly 100 kilometers above the cloud cover during particularly violent thunderstorms. Since the phenomena can be observed extremely rarely from the ground, they were not recorded until after the start of the flight. Only if you are far enough away from the thunderstorms can you see them in the night sky as fountains of light that briefly glow red.
Because these discharges in the ionosphere heat up less than normal lightning, a so-called cold plasma is created. Why “Red Goblins” appear only occasionally, what goes on inside them and what determines their shape has not yet been clarified.
“Leprechauns” were first photographed in 1989
“Red Sprites” always arise in connection with severe thunderstorms. At the same time, a strong flash from cloud to ground causes air molecules above the storm clouds to glow in the lower ionosphere. Because they are obscured by the clouds, they are barely visible from the ground. Therefore, “Red Goblins” were long dismissed as crazy by pilots – fighter pilots first reported this phenomenon during the Vietnam War.
Incidentally, the green veil over the mountains in the photo is known by the term airglow. The background: During the day, sunlight knocks electrons out of the shells of nitrogen and oxygen atoms in the Earth’s atmosphere, which then recombine with the atoms and molecules at night. This creates that ghostly glow that can only be seen in areas with very dark night skies.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
