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

9. Blue Glimpses: Fleeting Flashes of the Stratosphere

Recently identified as a type of blue lightning, blue glances arise in the stratosphere, far above the height of ordinary thunderstorms. Unlike ordinary lightning, which the unaided eye can clearly see, blue glances are quite faint and fleeting, which makes research difficult. Blue glimpses are probably created by high-energy cosmic ray interaction with the Earth's atmosphere, according to scientists. Short-lived plasma channels releasing a faint blue light can arise from the collision of these particles with stratospheric air molecules. This mechanism is essentially different from the process of electrical breakdown creating frequent lightning. Blue glances' possible use as a tool for investigating cosmic ray and high-energy particle physics makes them among the most fascinating features. Through tracking these occurrences, scientists aim to get fresh perspectives on the nature and source of cosmic radiation as well as how it affects the atmosphere and temperature of Earth.