Jakarta, domclub Indonesia
—
a
celestial phenomena
Rarely causing a stir among netizens.In a photo that went viral on social media, a red flash with a shape resembling a ‘giant jellyfish’ was seen hanging above the sky of Château de Beynac, France.
Many netizens speculate that this phenomenon is an alien appearance.However, this was denied by the United States Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
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Launch
New York Post
, NASA confirmed that the red flash did not come from outer space, but rather a rare weather phenomenon known as a sprite (
Stratospheric Pertubations Resulting from Intense Thunderstorm Electrification
).
“This brief red flash above a thunderstorm cloud is one of the rarest electrical phenomena on Earth,” NASA wrote in a statement, while releasing a photo taken by scientist Nicolas Escurat from the Spritacular project, Saturday (6/12).
Also known as red lightning, this Transient Luminous Event (TLE) phenomenon is associated with very intense thunderstorms, according to a report from Space.com.These storms can usually only be seen using special cameras or from space.
Sprite or red sprite lightning discharge occurs over very strong thunderstorms.This light is formed in the mesosphere, at an altitude of 50 to 90 kilometers above the Earth’s surface.
Unlike normal lightning that strikes downwards, sprites actually shoot upwards.Their red color arises from the interaction of electrical energy with nitrogen molecules in the upper atmosphere.
NASA also emphasized that this sighting was in no way a sign of the existence of extraterrestrial creatures.
In its post on X, the space agency emphasized again, “This phenomenon is completely natural and consistent with electrical processes in the Earth’s upper atmosphere.”
Although they only last a few milliseconds, the sprites can form patterns resembling heads and tentacles, making them look like giant red jellyfish in the sky.
Astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) have even managed to capture this moment several times when passing over large storm systems.According to NASA, research on sprites is critical to understanding how electrical energy moves during powerful storms.
The agency explained that the latest findings could be used to improve weather models and lightning predictions.
“The discovery of sprites helps improve our understanding of our planet’s electrical environment,” NASA wrote.
Although often mistaken for mysterious phenomena or even evidence of alien life, sprites are essentially one of the rarest and most fascinating atmospheric wonders that Earth has.
[Gambas:Twitter]
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