Weather: ISS detects blue ‘rays’ of lightning shooting upwards against thunderclouds

Weather: ISS detects blue ‘rays’ of lightning shooting upwards against thunderclouds

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International space station detects blue ‘rays’ of lightning shooting upwards from thunderclouds that can affect the concentration of greenhouse gases in the earth’s atmosphere

  • The phenomenon was detected by the ASIM device of the European Space Agency
  • It is a collection of cameras, photometers and an X-ray / gamma ray detector
  • The blue ray was seen coming from a cloud above the island of Nauru in the Pacific Ocean
  • It stretched into the stratosphere and was accompanied by a ring-like ‘elves’
  • If you understand these phenomena, it can be lightning how lightning forms

By Ian Randall For Mailonline

Published: | Updated:

A study reported that blue ‘rays’ of lightning shooting upwards from thunderclouds were detected by an instrument aboard the International Space Station.

Measured by the European Space Agency’s Space-Space Interaction Monitor (ASIM), the phenomenon originated in a cloud top above the Pacific island of Nauru.

It got into the stratosphere – experts believe that blue jets can reach up to 50 kilometers – and lasted less than a second.

Because blue rays form above the cloud layer, it is very difficult to see and study from below on the earth’s surface.

However, the International Space Station, which orbits 400 kilometers above the clouds, offers an unobstructed view.

Understanding the formation of blue rays – and other energetic phenomena in the stratosphere and above – can reveal clues as to how lightning is caused.

Experts also believe that blue jets may play a role in influencing the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere – something for which studies need to be further investigated.

A study reported that blue 'rays' of lightning shooting upwards from thunderclouds were detected by an instrument aboard the International Space Station. Pictured is a photo of a thunderstorm taken from the ISS in 2015 by the astronaut Andreas Mogensen

A study reported that blue ‘rays’ of lightning shooting upwards from thunderclouds were detected by an instrument aboard the International Space Station. Pictured is a photo of a thunderstorm taken from the ISS in 2015 by the astronaut Andreas Mogensen

ASIM – a collection of optical cameras and photometers, as well as an X-ray and gamma ray detector – was installed in 2018 at the International Space Station.

The monitor we designed to look for electrical discharges that occur in stormy weather conditions and extend beyond the thunderstorms into the higher atmosphere.

The blue ray recently detected by ASIM was kicked off by an intense series of five 10-microsecond flashes, the researchers reported.

So-called ‘elves’ were also generated by the flash – expanding rings of optical and ultraviolet emissions that appear at the bottom of the ionosphere, about 80 km (80 km) above the earth’s surface.

It is formed by electrons and radio waves that interact with the atmosphere.

“Blue rays are lightning-like, atmospheric electric discharges of a few hundred milliseconds blowing in cones as they propagate from the top of the thunderclouds into the stratosphere,” the researchers wrote in their article.

“It is suspected that they are starting an electrical breakdown between the positively charged upper region of a cloud and a layer of negative charge at the cloud boundary and in the sky above,” they continued.

‘The outline forms a leader that transforms into streamers as it propagates upward. However, the characteristics of the leader and the height to which it extends above the clouds are not well characterized. ‘

Understanding the formation of blue rays - and other energetic phenomena in the stratosphere and higher, as in the photograph - can reveal clues as to how lightning is caused.

Understanding the formation of blue rays – and other energetic phenomena in the stratosphere and higher, as in the photograph – can reveal clues as to how lightning is caused.

Measured by the European Space Agency's Atmosphere-Space Interactions Monitor (pictured), the phenomenon originated in a cloud top above the Pacific island of Nauru

Measured by the European Space Agency’s Atmosphere-Space Interactions Monitor (pictured), the phenomenon originated in a cloud top above the Pacific island of Nauru

“This paper is an impressive highlight of the many new phenomena observed by ASIM during thunderstorms,” ​​said ESA’s coordinator for physical sciences, Astrid Orr.

‘[It] shows that we still have so much to discover and learn about our universe. ‘

“Congratulations to all the scientists and university teams who made this happen, as well as the engineers who built the observatory and the support teams on the ASIM ground industry,” she continued.

The effort, she concluded, was “a true international collaboration that has led to incredible discoveries”.

The full findings of the study were published in the journal Nature.

WHAT IS ‘RED SPRITES’?

Red sprites are electric light cases that occur above highly active thunderstorms.

They can be seen in the D region of the ionosphere – the area just above the dense lower atmosphere, about 37 to 56 miles above the earth.

They appear red at higher altitudes and fade to blue at lower altitudes.

Atmospheric sprites have been known for almost a century, but their origin was a mystery.

It lasts only a few milliseconds and is relatively dull compared to other lightning.

The late experimental physicist John Winckler accidentally discovered sprites while helping to test a new low-light video camera in 1989.

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