A rare “giant jet” of electricity was captured in a newly released image taken from the International Space Station (ISS). The picture dated on November 19, 2024 shows a powerful discharge of blue lights spread over a thunderstorm, possibly reaching about 50 miles (80 km) from the Earth’s surface. The image not promoted by NASA or any other space agency, came out after photographer Frankie Lucina was identified at the entrance of the astronaut photography of the Earth website. The striking incident was later shared by Spaceweather.com on 26 February, giving renewed attention to these elusive atmospheric events.
Analysis
As ReportsThe ISS captured four electrical photos around the time of the incident, displaying only a clear upward shooting jet. The exact location of the incident remains uncertain due to the cloud cover, but the ISS tracking data suggests that it is likely to be away from the coast of New Orleans. Since his discovery in 2001, giant jets are rarely seen with only a limited number of documents.
How to make huge jets
These huge electrical bolts occur when electric charge distribution within a storm is disrupted, so the energy is issued upwards rather than moving towards the ground. The specific blue color results from interacting with nitrogen in the upper atmosphere. Most giant jets extend into ionosphere, the electrical charge layer of the Earth’s atmosphere starting about 50 miles above the surface.
Energy energy of electricity upwards
Previous studies have shown that giant jets can carry much more energy than standard electrical bolts. In May 2018, a record-breaking event on Oklahoma found 60 times the energy of the average strike. In addition to the main jet, the red discharge with unconscious branch similar to the sprite can be seen in the recent ISS image, highlighting the complexity of these high-heating electrical phenomena.
