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 spites, a type of transient luminous event or TLE, appear in the upper atmosphere above a thunderstorm in Oklahoma in April 2025. Photograph by Paul Smith Our atmosphere is like one big electrical ...

NASA astronaut Nichole Ayers, currently stationed on board the International Space Station, shared an incredible image of a sprite — a rare weather phenomenon that’s triggered high above the clouds by ...

These brief bursts blue jets, red sprites, ELVES are collectively termed transient luminous events, or TLEs. They explode tens of kilometers high over thunderstorms, in the rarefied atmosphere of the ...

“As we went over Mexico and the U.S. this morning, I caught this sprite,” the former collegiate volleyball player said Ayers is aboard the International Space Station as pilot of SpaceX Dragon’s ...

Stunning images of mysterious red lights appearing to fall from space have captured global attention, sparking widespread speculation online. Many social media users suggested these ghostly flashes ...

Tom has a Master's degree in Journalism. His editorial work covers anything from archaeology and the environment to technology and culture. Tom has a Master's degree in Journalism. His editorial work ...

Image of a red sprite taken from the International Space Station in October 2023 by Expedition 70 Commander, Dr. Andreas Mogensen. Credit: ESA/DTU/ A. Mogensen Image of a red sprite taken from the ...

Giant red blobs, picket fences, upward branching carrots, and tentacled octopi - these are just a few of the phrases used to describe sprites - spectacular, eerie flashes of colored light high above ...