From the silence of space, the ISS captured a rare ‘Blue Jet’ lightning—an electrifying mystery that still baffles scientists below.
From the large bay windows surrounding the International Space Station’s glass-enclosed cupola, Danish astronaut Andreas Mogensen caught an electric sight never before captured from space: a giant blue burst of optical activity — called a blue jet — radiating from a thunderstorm over India.
Astronaut Andreas Mogensen caught a rare glimpse of a blue jet over India while aboard the ISS. ESA/NASA/IRISS/DTU
Capturing this beautiful upper atmospheric phenomenon ended up being the highlight of Mogensen’s mission aboard the ISS. This was the first time a blue jet has ever been recorded from space.
People have been speculating about these “rocket-like” emissions from the tops of thunderclouds for over a century, but it wasn’t until 1995 that scientists confirmed their existence after capturing a glimpse of these ejections while flying through a thunderstorm over Arkansas.
Blue jets, along with red sprites — a similar but distinct phenomena recently spotted in an image taken from the ISS — are enormous bursts of electrical discharge spiking upward from storm clouds in the upper atmosphere.
Blue jets emerge from the electrically-charged cores of thunderstorms and can spear 25 to 30 miles upwards in the shape of a cone.
To get a better look of the jet in action, check out this slowed-down version of the video.
