The lightning you cannot see from the ground<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Scientists group many of these brief flashes under the term \u201ctransient luminous events<\/a>,\u201d or TLEs. They happen above thunderstorms, often lasting only milliseconds, so clouds and distance make them hard to spot from Earth. You might be standing under a storm and still miss the real show.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sprites are the poster child, faint reddish flashes that can appear around 50 miles (80 kilometers) above thunderstorms. NASA notes that reports of strange lights above storms go back a long way, but the first credible sprite footage was captured by chance in 1989. Even now, researchers say there are big gaps in how often sprites form and why they take such varied shapes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Other TLEs lean into the fairy-tale names. ESA describes \u201cblue jets\u201d as electrical discharges that shoot upward<\/a> from cloud tops into the stratosphere, while \u201cELVES<\/a>\u201d can appear as dim, expanding rings that may span about 249 miles (400 kilometers) across. For events this fast and this high, orbit is a front-row seat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the main watchers is ASIM<\/a>, the Atmosphere Space Interactions Monitor, mounted outside the European Columbus laboratory on the ISS. ESA says it was installed in April 2018 using the station\u2019s roughly 52-foot (16-meter) robotic arm to position a facility weighing about 690 pounds (314 kilograms). From that perch, it looks down for lightning and powerful electrical bursts above thunderstorms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n ASIM does not rely on a single sensor. ESA explains it carries optical instruments that work in infrared and ultraviolet, plus X-ray and gamma-ray detectors, with onboard sensors deciding when to capture and send data to Earth. <\/p>\n\n\n\n NASA adds that space-based observations like these can improve atmospheric models used for weather and climate prediction, because the events sit far above normal lightning where ground cameras struggle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n ASIM\u2019s data is already shaping new findings. NASA reports that research based on ASIM observations confirmed that lightning-like discharges near storm tops can trigger ELVES, those giant rings of light in the upper atmosphere. The same work showed these discharges can influence the ionosphere<\/a>, a region that affects radio signals and many \u201cspace weather\u201d effects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n ASIM has also helped researchers dig into corona discharges<\/a>, brief but powerful electrical bursts near the tops of thunderclouds. NASA says ASIM-based studies described the physical properties of different corona discharge types and provided reference data for a long-standing problem in lightning physics, how lightning gets started. It is the difference between watching a flash and understanding the wiring behind it.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Not all storm science happens outside the station. NASA says the ESA investigation Thor-Davis<\/a> tested a special camera used through the Cupola windows that can record thunderstorm electrical activity at up to 100,000 frames per second. That speed matters because some TLEs are over in a blink, literally as little as a millisecond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n ESA and DTU Space describe the Davis device as an \u201cevent-based\u201d camera that records changes in light rather than full traditional frames, a bit like how our eyes focus on motion. In practical terms, it can reach microsecond-scale timing while using fewer resources, which is exactly what you want when you are chasing tiny flickers from orbit. It is also aimed at a bigger question, how storms interact with the upper atmosphere and affect greenhouse gases such as ozone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Visible light is only part of the storm story. NASA says JAXA\u2019s Light-1 CubeSat<\/a> used detectors integrated into a compact satellite to observe terrestrial gamma-ray flashes, or TGFs, in the upper atmosphere. NASA warns these high-intensity events can expose aircraft, aircraft electronics, and passengers to excessive radiation, which turns a niche physics question into an aviation one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Light-1 also shows how smaller missions can widen the net. NASA describes the satellite as a compact 3U CubeSat using two integrated detectors, designed to be efficient in cost and manufacturing time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Researchers plan to compare Light-1 data with ground observations to build more complete lightning and thunderstorm maps, and NASA notes small satellite detectors could be cheaper and faster to build than some traditional approaches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At the end of the day, this is not just about pretty videos from space. NASA says understanding TLEs can improve atmospheric models and weather predictions, the same systems that shape storm warnings, airline routing decisions, and even how utilities plan for heat waves and that electric bill we all dread in midsummer. Better observations also mean fewer unknowns when storms interfere with communication links.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There is also a climate payoff, with appropriate caution. ESA notes that lightning affects concentrations of climate-relevant atmospheric gases, and it emphasizes that chemical changes in the atmosphere still carry large uncertainties, which makes direct measurements valuable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The official statement was published on NASA<\/a>\u2019s website.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" If you have ever watched a thunderstorm roll in, you know the basics. Dark clouds, a sudden downpour, and lightning … <\/p>\nRead More: Germany discovers a treasure trove beneath an old gas field: 43 million tons of lithium have been found beneath the Altmark region, bringing Europe closer to the great battery revolution<\/a><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
ASIM is the space station\u2019s storm hunter<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Read More: No sun, no wind: Chinese scientists have managed to convert the impact of rain into electricity, and a small panel has already powered 50 lights at the same time<\/a><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
ELVES, coronas, and why the ionosphere pays attention<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"View](\"https:\/\/www.ecoticias.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/iss-sprites-blue-jets-elves-thunderstorm-observation.jpg\" "\\"\\""){kind=icon}
Thor-Davis brings an ultrafast camera to the Cupola<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Light-1 tracks gamma-ray flashes that can reach aircraft<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Read More: A giant, invasive spider is already moving through one of the most famous parks in the United States<\/a><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
What this means for everyday forecasts and long-term climate<\/h2>\n\n\n\n