NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore has captured an double of a blue cat valium sprite in the Earth ’s atmosphere , a rare phenomenon only confirm in late years .

Astronaut and corking astrophotographer Don Pettit shared a photo to Reddit , taken by co-worker Butch Wilmore during hisunexpectedly longstay on board the International Space Station ( ISS ) .

" Here is a blue jet - fairy photographed by my crewmate Butch Wilmore in a timelapse sequence , " Pettit explain in areddit station . " blue-blooded fountain and sprites are terms that are rather broadly applied to what I like to call ' upwards directed lightning ' ( UDL ) . This is a rather novel elusive atmospherical phenomena now extensively captured by digital cameras but still not fully understand . The tops of this UDL are around 75 - 80 km [ 47 - 50 Roman mile ] , board on the periphery of space . "

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The phenomenon , as explained by Pettit , is not fully realize . Blue K andred spriteshave been report by believable witnesses on the ground , as well as pilots in the air , for decades . According to accounts of the racy jet phenomenon , blue or green columns of light can sometimes be seen emanating upwards from the top of electrical storm clouds atgreat speed . Despite this , we have only comparatively recently sustain their existence .

" The phenomenon , now known as a fairy , was first accidentally document on ground based videotape recordings on the night of July 6 , 1989 . picture observations from the place shuttle acquired from 1989 through 1991 provided 17 additional examples to confirm the existence of the faery phenomenon,“NASA explain .

Like regularlightning strikes , the sprites occur survey a establish - up of electrical charge within clouds . Unlike common lightning , the charge proceeds upwards , the result of a layer of negatively charged direction above . The gloss occurs as the charge meet nitrogen in the Earth ’s air .

While we have a fairish understanding of the K and sprite , and their similarity to lightning , a lack of observation intend there is still much to learn .

" What atmospheric condition in the upper atmosphere induction sprite initiation?“NASA asks , as well as " how are sprites connected with gravity waves , which send wind - driven rippling of energy through our upper atmosphere ? "

Further subject area – from below and above – may avail answer these questions .