All phenomena
Red lightning that shoots upward into space
Space lightning that shoots into the cosmos!
The science
Quasi-electrostatic fields generated by massive positive cloud-to-ground lightning strikes that ionize the upper atmosphere.
How to spot it
Use a low-light or high-ISO camera aimed at the top of a distant thunderstorm (100-300 miles away) from a dark-sky location. They appear as brief red-orange tendrils above the cloud tops.
Where
Observable from the US Great Plains, southern France, northern India, and anywhere with a clear view of distant mesoscale convective systems.
Best season
Summer months when large nocturnal thunderstorm complexes are most common (June-August).
Famous encounter
Accidentally discovered by researchers at the University of Minnesota in 1989 while testing low-light cameras.
- ▸Occur 50-90km above thunderstorms
- ▸Last only 1-5 milliseconds
- ▸Can extend 50km vertically
- ▸Only discovered in 1989 due to their brief nature