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Science Lightning "dances" on edge of space: Sprites
Science Lightning "dances" on edge of space: Sprites | Lightning "dances" on edge of space: Sprites |
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| by William Atkins | |
| Tuesday, 09 June 2009 | |
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Science DiscussionsNow, the real thing is described as “squid-like” and as lightning bolts dancing at the edge of space. They are called sprites. Sprites are electrical discharges that happen high above the clouds, on the edge of space. They often appear 50 to 90 miles (80 to 145 kilometers) above the surface of Earth. And, sprites quickly result in a strange array of shapes (hanging tendrils, below, and arcing branches, above) and colors (reddish-orange, greenish-blue). According to Wikipedia.com, “The phenomena were named after the mischievous sprite (air spirit) Puck in Shakespeare's 'Midsummer Night's Dream'.” They were first verified to exist when scientists at the University of Minnesota photographed them on July 6, 1989. The article (pdf file) “The Discovery of Red Sprites as an Opportunity for Informal Science Education,” by Walter A. Lyons and Mickey D. Schmidt, reports on this first verified sighting. Within their paper, Lyons and Schmidt state, “Barely escaping being lumped in with UFO sightings and other paranormal gibberish, the mainstream scientific establishment steadfastly paid the reports little attention, until the night of 6 July 1989. Then serendipity struck, as the late Prof. John R. Winckler, an auroral physicist at the University of Minnesota, was testing a low light television (LLTV) camera for an upcoming rocket launch.” They add more information on page two, along with a Web site from SpaceWeather.com showing an image of a sprite. |
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