15 Types of Blue Lightning vs. Regular Lightning: Latest Scientific Discoveries

3. Sprites: Ethereal Dancers of the Upper Atmosphere

Usually found between 50 and 90 kilometres above thunderstorm clouds, sprites are a kind of blue lightning. Powerful positive cloud-to-- ground lightning strikes set off sprites, unlike ordinary lightning which starts inside clouds. These ethereal events show as clusters of red tendrils falling from the lower usage blue glow. Recent studies reveal that the chemical equilibrium of the top atmosphere depends critically on sprites. Sprite occurrence generates large quantities of nitrogen oxides, which can affect ozone concentrations and maybe change climatic patterns. This realisation emphasises the interdependence of several atmospheric events and their broad consequences on the ecosystem of our earth. Sprite are quite brief, only a few milliseconds, unlike typical lightning. But fast-moving camera technology has let researchers record these elusive moments in hitherto unheard-of clarity. These pictures expose complicated branching patterns and yet unheard-of bead-like forms inside sprites.