This photo shows two stunning light phenomena at the same time

[Mike Wehner]

• Lightning strikes that we see here on the surface are only one kind of storm phenomenon, and others happen in places we can't see from the ground.
• Lightning also produces incredible sights in the space above the clouds, extending into the atmosphere in colors that we never see from a cloud-to-ground lightning bolt.
• A new image captured by researchers at NOIRLab offers us an incredible glimpse at two rarely seen lightning features playing out at the exact same moment.

We're all familiar with what happens when a thunderstorm rolls through our neck of the woods. We get rain, wind, thunder, and, of course, lightning. Seeing a cloud-to-ground lightning strike can be a truly spectacular experience — as long as you're not in the immediate vicinity — but those bolts of energy are only one part of the lightning story. The rest plays out above the clouds, and one could argue that the rarely-seen displays that are hidden from our view on the ground are actually even more stunning.

In a new image posted by NOIRLab, we are treated to not one, but two such phenomena frozen in time. The image was captured near Mauna Kea, a dormant volcano in Hawaii that is home to multiple high-powered telescopes. What we see in the photo is lightning directing its power skyward in the form of features known as red sprites and blue jets. You can clearly see how they earned their names.

Today's Top Deal





FDA EUA-authorized Powecom KN95 masks are back in stock at Amazon - and they're discounted!


Price: $19.99
You Save: $3.51 (15%)
Buy Now

Continue reading...

Today's Top Deals

1. Your cable company’s worst nightmare only costs $59 at Amazon
2. Amazon shoppers are so obsessed with this brilliant $25 bathroom storage cabinet

Trending Right Now:

1. Some people could get more than $14,000 in new stimulus payments – here’s how
2. $1,400 stimulus checks are coming, but the $15 minimum wage is dead
3. Boy rushed to doctor for ‘brain-eating worm’ that turned out to be pretty embarassing

This photo shows two stunning light phenomena at the same time originally appeared on BGR.com on Fri, 26 Feb 2021 at 22:14:35 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Via BRG - Boy Genius Report