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Recently published observations from space show researchers more about the nature of lightning storms on Earth, including fancifully named phenomena such as “blue jets” and “elves.”
The International Space Station’s Atmosphere Interaction Monitor (ASIM) observatory captured a single blue “jet” (lightning bolt that shoots upward) from a thunderstorm cell, along with four “elves”, or optical emissions and ultraviolet rays from the bottom of the ionosphere, according to a Nature article published Wednesday, January 20.
ASIM, a European instrument, can observe lightning from space. Its unique perch allows researchers to hunt elusive lightning phenomena that remain poorly understood after decades of research, mostly from observations on the ground.
Video: See an ‘elve’ and a ‘blue jet’ from space in this animation
Related: NASA’s Juno spacecraft spots ‘sprites’ and ‘elves’ dancing in Jupiter’s atmosphere
Understanding the origins of lightning could also provide insight into how greenhouse gases are concentrated in Earth’s atmosphere, the European Space Agency (ESA) said in a statement.
“These weird sounds [phenomena] are very difficult to observe from the surface of the Earth, “ESA said in the statement, of the various forms of lightning.” View Earth’s weather from the International Space Station 400 km [250 miles] above, “the agency added,” ASIM’s enhanced perspective sheds new light on weather phenomena and their characteristics. “
ASIM includes a set of instruments such as photometers (which measure light intensity), optical cameras, and an X-ray and gamma detector. ASIM was delivered and installed on the space station in 2018 to check for electric shocks during earth storms.
This latest research episode generated a cover article in Nature along with the scientific article, but it is only part of ASIM’s scientific output. In 2019, a scientific paper based on ASIM results explored terrestrial gamma ray flashes (TGFs) that occur when the strong electric field associated with thunderstorms stimulates particles in the atmosphere; these particles then emit radiation. The 2019 study was also the first to suggest that lightning triggers TGFs and Elves.
More recently published papers from 2020 include comparing observations of the same lightning strike in Colombia from space and ground, and a three-year summary of ASIM research describing applications in weather forecasting and public safety. , among other data.
A complete list of articles based on instrument data is available at the ASIM Science Data Center.
Follow Elizabeth Howell on Twitter @howellspace. follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.
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