Are you someone who wants to look at the Northern Lights? What if we tell you that the Himalayas have something just as breathtaking? In a recent turn of events, astrophotographers captured an extraordinary phenomenon over the Himalayas, with over 100 red sprites dancing above the thunderclouds. Let’s get more into it.
Rare Red Sprites Above The Himalayas
A stunning display of more than a hundred ‘red sprite’ lightning events was recently captured above the Himalayas in Tibet. This is not the regular lightning we usually see, but a kind of bright red electrical discharge that occurs high above thunderstorms. You can spot these rare lightning flashes in a post shared by @PaulGoldEagle on X. It was seen near Pu Moyongcuo Lake or Puma Yumco (a lake in China) on the southern Tibetan plateau, and this is not the first time!
As per Moneycontrol, this rare red sprite phenomenon was also captured by astrophotographers Angel An and Shuchang Dong on May 19, 2022, near the same lake. They had set up their cameras to capture rare celestial events, but ended up witnessing something much more magical. Let us also tell you that these rare types of lightning flashes occur high in the atmosphere, about 40 to 55 miles above the Earth’s surface. They are usually not visible from the ground under normal conditions because they take place above thunderstorm clouds. The Himalayas rarely see sprite activity, which makes the event all the more fascinating.
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Electrically Charged Rare Scientific Phenomenon
These red sprites have caught the attention of not just astrophotographers but also people who love exploring the celestial side of the atmosphere. Triggered by intense lightning strikes that release high electrical energy, red sprites can sometimes even resemble jellyfish floating in the sky.
Furthermore, many studies claim that these sprites over the Himalayas could give us new insights. They may help us understand high-altitude electrical bursts and changes in atmospheric chemistry. It could also help show how energy and particles move between atmospheric layers.
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Though considered rare, their increased appearance above the Himalayas is surely fascinating.
Cover Image Courtesy: @PaulGoldEagle/ X
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