Blue Jets and Red Sprites

Blue Jets and Red Sprites

Blue Jets & Red Sprites are both atmospheric and electrical phenomena that take place in the upper atmosphere and are also known as upper-atmosphere discharge. They take place above normal lightning; blue jets occur around 40-50 kilometers above the Earth, while red sprites are higher at 50-100 kilometers.

Blue Jets happen in cone shapes above thunderstorm clouds and are not related to lightning. They’re blue due to ionized emissions from nitrogen. Another phenomenon called a Gigantic Jet, which seems to be a hybrid of a blue jet and a sprite. They are broader, wedge-shaped jets of light and easier to see. They can last 10-100ms, so they are relatively slow compared to other storm events.

Red sprites can appear as different shapes and have hanging tendrils. A relative of the sprite is the ELVES as an expanding ring of light that spreads out for around 1,000 kilometers. Appearing around 80-100km above the ground, they look very different to sprites. ELVES occur more often than sprites, with about 1 in 100 lightning flashes producing one. Small storms are just as likely to make them as big storms, as a fast current can happen in any storm.

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