Speeding around the Earth at 28,000 km/h, NASA astronaut Nichole Ayers captured an incredible view of a phenomenon known as a red sprite. Here's the science behind this 'transient luminous event'.

Red spites, a type of transient luminous event or TLE, appear in the upper atmosphere above a thunderstorm in Oklahoma in April 2025. Photograph by Paul Smith Our atmosphere is like one big electrical ...

In May 2022, an extraordinary electrical phenomenon unfolded in the skies above the Himalayas, capturing the attention of both scientists and skywatchers. Over one hundred rare and vibrant red sprites ...

Lightning has captured people's fascination for millennia. It's embedded in mythology, religion and popular culture. Think of ...

One night in May 2022, two astrophotographers camping near Lake Puma Yumco in Tibet caught something extraordinary on film: bursts of glowing red lightning dancing in the sky. These weren't UFOs or ...

Photographers in Tibet captured 105 red sprites above a single thunderstorm in South Asia—the highest number ever recorded in the region. Using star and satellite positions, scientists determined ...

“As we went over Mexico and the U.S. this morning, I caught this sprite,” the former collegiate volleyball player said Ayers is aboard the International Space Station as pilot of SpaceX Dragon’s ...

Tom has a Master's degree in Journalism. His editorial work covers anything from archaeology and the environment to technology and culture. Tom has a Master's degree in Journalism. His editorial work ...