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Above: Dancing Sprites over eastern Colorado, May 21, 2014, at 9:01:12 pm Mountain Time. |
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Specimens : Transient Luminous Events in the Mesosphere Near Infrared Photographs and Video Captures with VLF-ELF Radio Emissions Sprites are brief large-scale electrical discharges that occur high above thunderstorm clouds giving rise to a varied range of visual shapes flashing in the sky. They are generally triggered by positive cloud to ground lightning strokes. Sprites appear as luminous reddish-orange flashes. They often occur in clusters within the altitude range 50 to 90 km above the Earth's surface. They were only first photographed in 1989 and verified by space shuttle images in 1991. Following are specimens of various types of sprites that I captured from my observatory in New Mexico. This collection is in process. More to follow. Thomas Ashcraft : Heliotown : New Mexico : Mail
Jellyfish Sprites June 23, 2014: Triple Sprites June 16, 2013 : Impressive sprite over western Kansas April 12, 2012 : Sprite Cluster with Tendrils March 30, 2012 : Formidable Sprites Over Oklahoma May 01 2013 : Jellyfish Sprite visible through neighborhood lights
Carrot Sprites Aug 06, 2012 : Sprite Over Taos, New Mexico June 13, 2012 : "Carrot" Sprites May 01, 2013 : West Texas Carrot sprite cluster May 26, 2013 : Carrot sprites visible in strong moonlight April 14, 2012 : Carrot sprite 700 km distant on the horizon
Columniform Sprites, C-Sprites May 07, 2012 : Beautiful Sprites Captured at Closer Range ( scroll down page ) Aug 16, 2012 : Single C-sprite April 10, 2012 : C-sprites near Lubbock, Texas April 12, 2012 : C-sprites over Oklahoma panhandle
ELVES : ELVES often appear as a dim, flattened, expanding glow around 400 km (250 mi) in diameter that lasts for, typically, just one millisecond. They occur in the ionosphere 100 km (62 mi) above the ground over thunderstorms. Their color was a puzzle for some time, but is now believed to be a red hue. ELVES were first recorded on another shuttle mission, this time recorded off French Guiana on October 7, 1990. ELVES is a whimsical acronym for Emissions of Light and Very Low Frequency Perturbations due to Electromagnetic Pulse Sources. This refers to the process by which the light is generated; the excitation of nitrogen molecules due to electron collisions (the electrons possibly having been energized by the electromagnetic pulse caused by a discharge from an underlying thunderstorm). ( Wikipedia) May 31, 2012 : Gigantic Elve and Sprite Cluster Generated by 406 kAmp Mega-Lightning Stroke June 19, 2013 : Donut ELVE ( mutual capture images )
Various Interesting Sprite Events May 20, 2012 : Sprite -Meteor Coincidence and Possible Interaction April 10, 2012 : Halo first above, then sprites
Rare Negative -CG sprite captures June 2014 : Six rare captures with video and radio emissions
Two separate sprite events, close in time, with similar morphologies June 06, 2013 : 03:02:18 UT June 06, 2013 : 03:05:24 UT
Mesospheric Gravity Waves and Sprites June 06, 2012 : Time-lapse from 0500 UT to 0530 UT over Texas Collection 2012 : Various time-lapses
Blue Starter, Gnome May 25, 2013 : Rare capture
Blue Jets, Gigantic Jets : No captures as yet! Camera is at the ready for these rarely caught events over land.
Thomas Ashcraft : Heliotown : New Mexico : Mail : More Various Observations |
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