An astronaut from the ISS captures a giant “red jellyfish” in the sky: the photo is exceptional
On July 3, 2025, the astronaut Nichole “Vapor” Ayers photographed this giant sprite-a spectacular red discharge nicknamed “celestial jellyfish”-from the international space station, as it flew over a thunderstorm between Mexico and the United States. A rare and fascinating phenomenon, visible here in its characteristic sprawling form. © Nichole Ayers / NASA / ISS – Image taken from the international space station on July 3, 2025
July 3, 2025, aboard The International Space StationNichole Ayers photographed a phenomenon as spectacular as it is fleeting: a sprite. Unlike the lightning that is observed from the ground, this type of electric discharge occurs at stratospheric altitudes and does not result from a visible flash, but from a transient electric field. A rare cliché, and a scientific boon.
Advertisement
Just. Wow. As we fly over Mexico and the United States this morning, I captured this sprite. Sprites are transient light events (TLE), which occur above the clouds and are triggered by an intense electrical activity in thunderstorms below.
A giant sprite seen from the ISS: the lightning that does not hit the earth
THE spritesor transient light phenomena in French, are light phenomena triggered in the mesosphere, typically between 50 and 90 kilometers of altitude. Their appearance is linked to the electrostatic response of the superior atmosphere to a flash of positive polarity, very powerful, emitted from a thunderstorm to the soil. The electric field which follows this discharge can cause, under certain conditions, a rapid ionization of atmospheric nitrogen, which generates a transient red glow.
This is exactly what the astronaut Nichole Ayers captured during an orbital overview in the southern United States. The image shows a complex vertical structure, with multiple ramifications, with an intense base above stormy clouds. It is not a flash in the classic sense: the sprite does not transport direct current towards the earth. It follows from a field phenomenon, without physical contact with the soil.
Just. Wow. As we were over Mexico and the Us this Morning, I CAULT THIS Sprite.
Sprites are tles or transient luminous events, that happening above the cloud and are triggered by intense electrical activity in the thunderstorm below. We have a great view Above the Clouds, so… pic.twitter.com/dcqirn3vra
– Nichole “vapor” Ayers (@astro_ayers) July 3, 2025
Scientifically, the interest of these observations lies in understanding the couplings between the low and high layers of the atmosphere. Sprites can participate in air ionization processes, locally altering electrical conductivity or even influencing chemical reactions in the mesosphere. The exact role of these events in the overall energy balance of the atmosphere remains the subject of work in progress.
Thanks to its orbital position, the ISS makes it possible to observe these discharges without optical distortion or atmospheric absorption. Each cliché, like that of July 3, helps to better model the conditions for training these rare events – and to refine our understanding of extreme thunderstorms.
Advertisement
Want to save even more? Discover Our promo codes Selected for you.
