Ethereal photos capture rare “red lightning” phenomenon

Jason Ahrnshas had a very unusual summer . For the last several weeks , the University of Alaska - Fairbanks grad pupil has been studying sprites – a rare grade of red lightning that look high above thunderclouds . And he ’s been doing it from a aeroplane .

Ahrns is working with scientists from the Air Force Academy and Fort Lewis College on an NSF - fund study of the rarefied lightning . We first bring Ahrns ’ work to your tending a few weeks ago , withthis sensational footageof sprites discharging at 10,000 frames per minute . Ahrns and his colleagues have lumber on the rules of order of 30 hours in a Gulfstream V research aircraft ( pictured above , the plane is on loanword from the National Center for Atmospheric Research ) in search of sprites . Along the way , Ahrns has been capturingphoto and videoof the strange phenomenon , and uploading it to his flickr photostream .

https://gizmodo.com/watch-sprite-lightning-flash-at-10-000-frames-per-secon-1057246217

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Smithsonian ’s Megan Gambino lately spoke with Ahrns over emailand asked him all about sprites , how they form and how to find oneself them .

From what I understand , not much is known about cerise lightning , let out just 25 geezerhood or so ago . With the NSF undertaking , what are you and the other scientist hoping to learn ? What are the expectant motion you have ?

With this campaign we ’re rivet on three doubt . First , what basic strong-arm and chemical processes are occur ? It ’s still not clean what just is happening in a sprite , and why there are different variety of faery , and what conditions give you a column sprite vs. a carrot fairy , for example . ( All the sprite names just refer to their shape . ) Next , do fairy have a big scale leaf encroachment on the midway atmosphere ? fairy clearly represent some kind of transferral of zip , but is it on a scale that has a substantial effect on the weather condition and clime ? We ca n’t answer that without learn them . And , then , what can we find out about basic streamer cathartic ? The tendrils do off the bottom of the sprites are ‘ streamers’—little ball of ionisation — travel about . Streamer speed and life-time is concern to air density , so study red sprites in the very scurvy density upper aura is like looking at streamers with a magnify glass in obtuse motion , though they ’re still quite tight !

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