Red sprites aren't exactly rare, but capturing one from this vantage point certainly is!

Speeding around the Earth at 28,000 km/h, NASA astronaut Nichole Ayers captured an incredible view of a phenomenon known as a red sprite. Here's the science behind this 'transient luminous event'.

Red sprites are large-scale, luminous electrical discharges that occur high above thunderstorm clouds.

This red sprite, like a previous one NASA captured in June 2024, has red tendrils associated with jellyfish sprites due to “the positively charged lightning [interacting] with atmospheric ...

NASA astronaut Nichole Ayers has shared an incredible image of a sprite, a rare weather phenomenon that's triggered high above the clouds.

NASA astronaut Nichole Ayers captured a rare and stunning image of a ‘sprite’ — a Transient Luminous Event (TLE)—from space.

13:08, Fri, Jul 4, 2025 Updated: 15:48, Fri, Jul 4, 2025 US astronaut Nichole Ayers snapped an astounding photo of a red sprite lighting up the sky above Earth. This remarkable shot was taken from ...

Above the strike is a reddish phenomenon known as a sprite, which sometimes occurs in the atmosphere between 50 and 90 km above a lightning strike near the surface of the planet.

#1 Sometimes Lightning Occurs Out Near Space. One Such Lightning Type Is Red Sprite Lightning Image credits: Nicolas Escurat #2 Milky Way With Zodiacal Light, Aurora And A Shooting Star In New Zealand ...

The second new addition to the 2026 color range is Blade Silver Metallic. This one is far more restrained, offering a classic silver that should look clean and timeless in real-world lighting.

Home > Science Astronaut Captures Rare 'Sprite Lightning' From Space Less than a month after scientists determined what causes the bizarre light show, too.