Red sprite lightning is one of the rarest and least-understood natural phenomena on Earth. NASA astronaut Matthew Dominick recently managed to capture an image of this elusive event from the International Space Station (ISS).
Dominick shared the photo on June 20, describing his experience on X (formerly Twitter):
“Super lucky a few weeks ago when shooting a timelapse of a lightning storm off the coast of South Africa. One of the frames in the timelapse had a red sprite—a rare event. My knowledge is pretty much just from Wikipedia but I want to know more,” he wrote, adding that he’d love to collaborate with experts to better understand, and capture, these rare lightning events.
Red sprites, often called “red lightning,” occur during intense thunderstorms. Instead of striking downward like typical lightning, sprites shoot upward into the upper atmosphere.
Though incredibly brief—lasting just milliseconds—they can span up to 30 miles (48 km) across, making them challenging to observe even with professional equipment.
The ISS has been instrumental in studying lightning phenomena for years. Notable advancements include European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Andreas Mogensen’s work in 2015 and 2023. Mogensen captured images of red sprites and other types of lightning, like blue jets, during his missions. Using a specialized neuromorphic camera during his latest expedition, he was able to study these events in greater detail.
Unlike standard cameras, the neuromorphic camera detects differences in light to create images, providing scientists with new perspectives on lightning’s behavior.
Research suggests that lightning, including phenomena like sprites, may be influenced by climate change. According to a 2023 study led by Olivier Chanrion from DTU Space, lightning storms could play a role in injecting greenhouse gases and aerosols into the stratosphere, offering new opportunities to analyze their environmental impact.
With tools like the ISS and advanced imaging technologies, scientists are gaining new insights into the mysterious and fleeting beauty of red sprites—offering hope for a deeper understanding of our planet’s atmospheric wonders.