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Here is what caused the “very rare event”.
Lightning in the sky
Astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) discovered a strange blue glow over Europe early last month.
The glow was a “transient luminous event”, according to the French astronaut Thomas Pesquet on Twitter. This is a phenomenon that occurs when there is lightning in the upper atmosphere at altitudes higher than where they usually occur.
“This is a very rare event and we have a facility outside the European laboratory in Columbus dedicated to observing these flashes of light,” Pesquet wrote on a Flickr message of the image. “The Space Station is extremely well suited to this observatory as it flies over the equator where there are more thunderstorms.”
Fantastic images
One of the benefits of being on the ISS is the ability to study atmospheric events that we wouldn’t be able to do otherwise on Earth. These events – sometimes given fantasy-inspired names such as elves and sprites – could even impact our climate.
“What is fascinating about these lightning bolts is that just a few decades ago they were observed anecdotally by pilots and scientists weren’t convinced they really existed,” he said. writes Pesquet on Flickr. “Fast forward a few years and we can confirm that elves and sprites are real and could influence our climate as well!” “
READ MORE: Astronaut Spots Rare Ethereal ‘Transient Light Event’ From ISS [CNET]
Learn more about spatial images: SpaceX launch spews epic, fiery jellyfish into the night sky
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