![\"Red](\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/nasa-december-2025-3456x2234-1.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>A flash of lightning, and then\u2014something else. High above a storm, a crimson figure blinks in and out of existence. If you see it, you are a lucky witness of a sprite, one of the least-understood electrical phenomena in Earth\u2019s upper atmosphere.<\/p>\n
Sprites occur at some 50 miles (80 kilometers) altitude, high above thunderstorms. They appear moments after a lightning strike \u2013 a sudden reddish flash that can take a range of shapes, often combining diffuse plumes and bright, spiny tendrils. Some sprites tend to dance over the storms, turning on and off one after another. Many questions about how and why they form remain unanswered. Sprites are the most frequently observed type of Transient Luminous Events (TLEs); TLEs can take a\u00a0variety of fanciful shapes<\/a>\u00a0with equally fanciful names.<\/p>\n This image is the NASA Science Calendar Image of the Month for December 2025. Learn more<\/a> about sprites and download this photo to use as a wallpaper on your phone or computer.<\/p>\n Text credit: Miles Hatfield<\/em><\/p>\n Image credit: Nicolas Escurat<\/em><\/p>\n Powered by WPeMatico<\/a><\/small><\/p>\n Get The Details…<\/a> A flash of lightning, and then\u2014something else. High above a storm, a crimson figure blinks in and out of existence. If you see it, you are a lucky witness of a sprite, one of the least-understood electrical phenomena in Earth\u2019s upper atmosphere. Sprites occur at some 50 miles (80 kilometers) altitude, high above thunderstorms. They [\u2026] Continue reading
\nMiles Hatfield <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"