www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/10/201028143100.htm (accessed January 20, 2021). The atmospheric phenomenona, named after creatures of myth and legend, are examples of so-called transient luminous events (TLEs). and upward discharges in the mesosphere due to intense quasi-electrostatic R.S. The technical name, “transient luminous events,” doesn’t adequately convey the awe you feel at seeing these ethereal events, so each type has a more whimsical nickname: there are pixies, trolls, sprites, and elves, all dancing in time with the bursts of lightning and beats of thunder. The findings were published on Oct. 27, 2020, in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets. "But on Jupiter, the upper atmosphere mostly consists of hydrogen, so they would likely appear either blue or pink.". ScienceDaily. Gerken, E. A., U. S. Inan, and C. P. Barrington-Leigh, Telescopic imaging of The different kinds of flashes were given fanciful names like „sprites” and „elves” to reflect their fleeting and hard-to-catch nature and the entire category of flashes came to be known as „transient luminous events” (TLEs). A. Collier, and T. H. Allin, Optical observations geomagnetically conjugate Inan, U. S., T. F. Bell, and J. V. Rodriguez, Heating and ionization of the results from the sprites94 aircraft campaign: 2. blue jets. The more our team looked into it, the more we realized Juno may have detected a TLE on Jupiter.". They bear whimsical names like sprites, elves, gnomes and more. Pasko, V. P., U. S. Inan, T. F. Bell, and Y. N. Taranenko, Sprites produced by Gerken, E. A., and U. S. Inan, Observations of decameter-scale morphologies in New results from NASA ’s Juno mission at Jupiter suggest that either “sprites” or “elves” could be dancing in the upper atmosphere of the solar system’s largest planet. The south pole of Jupiter and a potential transient luminous event – a bright, unpredictable, and extremely brief flash of light – is seen in this … offered by a thunderstorm was confined to the lightning activity in the New results from NASA's Juno mission at Jupiter suggest that either "sprites" or "elves" could be dancing in the upper atmosphere of the solar system's largest planet. These transient luminous events or TLEs are similar to lightning. but persistent verbal reports of such high-altitude flashes by pilots and It is the first time these bright, unpredictable and extremely brief flashes of light - formally known as transient luminous events, or TLE's - have been observed on another world. Red sprites appear high in the atmosphere, usually 25 to 55 miles above thunderstorms, with tendril-like structures that extend downward as far as 25 miles. The occurrence of sprites and elves at Jupiter was predicted by several previously published studies. It is the first time these bright, unpredictable and extremely brief flashes of light -- formally known as transient luminous events, or TLE's -- have been observed on another world. scientific inception in 1989, making numerous theoretical contributions and The term TLE is a broad term encompassing numerous different phenomena with some of the more common ones being sprites, blue jets, and elves. of the photograph of the flash stoked a great amount of scientific interest in Giles et al. pinned down), and the entire category of flashes came to be known as transient Abestrobi. Research (ONR). Hank Schyma, also known as Pecos Hank, is a musician, songwriter, filmmaker and professional storm chaser based in Houston, Texas.He has fronted the rock group Southern Backtones for over fifteen years. The preferred usage is transient luminous event (TLE), because the various types of electrical-discharge phenomena in the upper atmosphere lack several characteristics of the more famili… [2005] indicate that elves produce significant ionization Transient luminous events or TLE’s are electrical discharges which occur high above energetic thunderstorms. Note: Content may be edited for style and length. others [Vaughan and Vonnegut, 1989, and references therein]. Wescott, E. M., D. Sentman, D. Osborne, D. Hampton, and M. Heavner, Preliminary lightning-induced ionospheric flashes referred to as 'elves'. Sprites, named after a mischievous, quick-witted character in English folklore, are transient luminous events triggered by lightning discharges from thunderstorms far … In fact, these elves and sprites on Jupiter stand as the first of their kind discovered on another world; their kind being transient luminous events, or TLE’s. Financial support for ScienceDaily comes from advertisements and referral programs, where indicated. Group include: Recent study of TLEs by the VLF Group has been funded by the Office of Naval NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI NASA's Juno spacecraft discovered that Jupiter's atmosphere produces lightning-like electrical outbursts called transient luminous … Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. Japan, and South Africa. Portions of this material are based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. to sprite-producing lightning discharges. Chen, A. NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Publication NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Or view hourly updated newsfeeds in your RSS reader: Keep up to date with the latest news from ScienceDaily via social networks: Tell us what you think of ScienceDaily -- we welcome both positive and negative comments. Sentman, D. D., E. M. Wescott, D. L. Osborne, D. L. Hampton, and M. J. Heavner, luminous events. negative lightning discharges. Have any problems using the site? Strange “sprites” or “elves” have been seen on Jupiter from Nasa ’s Juno mission. Marshall, R. A., and U. S. Inan, High-speed measurements of small-scale Marshall, R. A., U. S. Inan, T. Neubert, A. Hughes, G. Satori, J. Bor, Since then, it has made 29 science flybys of the gas giant, each orbit taking 53 days. A rotating, solar-powered spacecraft, Juno, arrived at Jupiter in 2016 after making a five-year journey. ... are a type of transient luminous event… Rohini S. Giles, Thomas K. Greathouse, Bertrand Bonfond, G. Randall Gladstone, Joshua A. Kammer, Vincent Hue, Denis C. Grodent, Jean‐Claude Gérard, Maarten H. Versteeg, Michael H. Wong, Scott J. Bolton, John E. P. Connerney, Steven M. Levin. ScienceDaily shares links with sites in the. Stunning, evanescent events called sprites and elves are sometimes seen prancing above thunderclouds on Earth. The VLF Group has been deeply involved in TLE research since the subject's More information about Juno is available at: Materials provided by NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Gigantic jets were first documented in July 2002. On Earth, they occur up to 60 miles (97 kilometers) above intense, towering thunderstorms and brighten a region of the sky tens of miles across, yet last only a few milliseconds (a fraction of the time it takes you to blink an eye). B., et al., Global distributions and occurrence rates of transient observed in sprites using telescopic imagery. that elves are the most dominant type of TLEs and estimate the global occurrence rates of sprites, halos, and elves to be ∼1, ∼1, and ∼35 events/min, respectively [Chen et al., 2008]. Vaughan, O. H., and B. Vonnegut, Recent observations of lightning discharges Specimens : Transient Luminous Events in the Mesosphere. Remote Sensing and Statistical Analysis of the... Multi-Scale 3D Modeling of Mesospheric Electric... Nonlinear Amplification and Generation of Very... Statistical Analysis and Modeling Lightning Using... Barrington-Leigh, C. P., and U. S. Inan, Elves triggered by positive and Examples of various kinds of TLEs are shown in Figure "On Earth, sprites and elves appear reddish in color due to their interaction with nitrogen in the upper atmosphere," said Giles. NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory. discovered. . ATM-0836326. It is the first time these bright, unpredictable and extremely brief flashes of light – formally known as transient luminous events, or TLE’s – have been observed on another world. observational discoveries. 1989 with the first scientific documentation of a brilliant optical flash well Upper-atmospheric lightning or ionospheric lightning are terms sometimes used by researchers to refer to a family of short-lived electrical-breakdown phenomena that occur well above the altitudes of normal lightning and storm clouds. thunderstorm clouds and between the clouds and the ground. Inan, U. S., C. Barrington-Leigh, S. Hansen, V. S. Glukhov, T. F. Bell, and Preliminary results from the sprites94 aircraft campaign: 1. red sprites. Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets . Synching with these predictions, the 11 large-scale bright events Juno's UVS instrument has detected occurred in a region where lightning thunderstorms are known to form. Barrington-Leigh, C. P., U. S. Inan, and M. Stanley, Identification of sprites Picture: Franklin Lucena. Transient luminous events can be broken down into sprites, jets and elves. "Juno data indicates 'sprites' or 'elves' frolic in Jupiter's atmosphere." Franz, R. C., R. J. Nemzek, and J. R. Winckler, Television image of a large ScienceDaily. The different kinds of flashes were given fanciful names like What are known as “sprites” and “elves” are actually Transient Luminous Events (TLEs) that emerge from the upper atmosphere when thunderstorms are brewing and lightning strikes. They, too, brighten the sky for mere milliseconds but can grow larger than sprites -- up to 200 miles (320 kilometers) across on Earth. During the same period, he has directed, … and elves with intensified video and broadband array photometry. Almost resembling a jellyfish, sprites are transient luminous events triggered by lightning discharges from thunderstorms far below. And UVS recorded that the spectra of the bright flashes were dominated by hydrogen emissions. "But we discovered UVS images that not only showed Jovian aurora, but also a bright flash of UV light over in the corner where it wasn't supposed to be. Transient luminous event. from the top of a thundercloud into the clear air above. to steer clear of names suggesting causative mechanisms which had not yet been If you’re looking for sprites or elves dancing in the forest after dark, you might be disappointed—but in a way, they do exist. Scientists predicted these bright, superfast flashes of light should also be present in Jupiter's immense roiling atmosphere, but their existence remained theoretical. Content on this website is for information only. Title: Transient Luminous Events observed in Jupiter's upper atmosphere Author, co-author: Giles, R.; Greathouse, T.K. above a thunderstorm [Franz et al., 1990], following years of intermittent Illustration of sprite depicted at Jupiter; image of south pole of Jupiter and a potential transient luminous event, 2020 Tied for Warmest Year On Record: NASA, Climate Change: Billions in Flood Damages, Pulsar Acceleration: Milky Way's Dark Side, Platypus: How Odd Mammal Got to Be So Bizarre, Jupiter's Atmospheric Beauty Is More Than Skin Deep, NASA Juno Finds Jupiter's Jet-Streams Are Unearthly, Juno Mission to Jupiter Delivers First Science Results, NASA's Juno Spacecraft Sends First in-Orbit View, Turn Off That Camera During Virtual Meetings, Environmental Study Says, Electric Cooker an Easy, Efficient Way to Sanitize N95 Masks, Study Finds, Three Reasons Why COVID-19 Can Cause Silent Hypoxia, Conductive Nature in Crystal Structures Revealed at Magnification of 10 Million Times, X-Rays Surrounding 'Magnificent 7' May Be Traces of Sought-After Particle, Light-Controlled Higgs Modes Found in Superconductors; Potential Sensor, Computing Uses, Eggs Reveal What May Happen to Brain on Impact, Appreciating a Flower's Texture, Color, and Shape Leads to Better Drone Landings, One-Dimensional Quantum Nanowires Fertile Ground for Majorana Zero Modes. Named after a mischievous, quick-witted character in English folklore, sprites are transient luminous events triggered by lightning discharges from thunderstorms far below. Published online October 27, 2020. doi: 10.1029/2020JE006659. They usually are associated with positively charged cloud-to-ground lightning strikes. Elves (short for Emission of Light and Very Low Frequency perturbations due to Electromagnetic Pulse Sources) appear as a flattened disk glowing in Earth's upper atmosphere. Much of the VLF Group's work has been driven by Gerken, E. A., and U. S. Inan, A survey of streamer and diffuse glow dynamics While it may sound like something out of a fantasy novel, sprites and elves are actually two types of quick, bright flashes of light, or transient luminous events. These are bizarre, bright flashes of … "We're continuing to look for more telltale signs of elves and sprites every time Juno does a science pass," said Giles. Newsome, R. T., and U. S. Inan, Free-running ground-based photometric array The supernaturally-named phenomena refer to transient luminous events … New results from NASA's Juno mission at Jupiter suggest that either "sprites" or "elves" could be dancing in the upper atmosphere of the solar system's largest planet. Such transient luminous events occur on Earth during a thunderstorm, but these are the first to be observed on another world. TLE’s were brought into the spot light in 1988 after researchers by accident imaged a number of sprites over the great … Transient Luminous Event (TLE) are flashes and glows that appear above storms that are results of activity occurring in and below those storms. Just in time for Halloween, NASA announced results from the space agency's Juno mission that suggest "sprites" or "elves" could be frolicking in Jupiter's upper atmosphere. quasi-electrostatic pre-discharge thundercloud fields. Questions? (2020, October 28). It is the first time these bright, unpredictable and extremely brief flashes of light — … induced brightening in the airglow layer. Analysis of emissions from elves conducted by Mende et al. Possible transient luminous events observed in Jupiter’s upper atmosphere. The findings were published on Oct. 27, 2020, in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets. An instrument on the spacecraft may have detected transient luminous events — bright flashes of light in the gas giant’s upper atmosphere. luminous events (TLEs). quasi-electrostatic heating and ionization in the lower ionosphere. sprites. R. Rairden, Rapid lateral expansion of optical luminosity in sprites. They are generally triggered by positive cloud to ground lightning strokes. Pasko, V. P., U. S. Inan, and T. F. Bell, Blue jets produced by Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily, its staff, its contributors, or its partners. Get the latest science news with ScienceDaily's free email newsletters, updated daily and weekly. novel imaging instrumentation developed and built at Stanford. the subject of lightning-associated high-altitude (above cloud) flashes, and "UVS was designed to characterize Jupiter's beautiful northern and southern lights," said Giles, a Juno scientist and the lead author of the paper. Pasko, V. P., M. A. Stanley, J. D. Mathews, U. S. Inan, and T. G. Wood, This changed in Pasko, V. P., U. S. Inan, Y. N. Taranenko, and T. F. Bell, Heating, ionization The primary emphasis is placed on publications that ap-peared in refereed literature starting from year 2008 and up to the present date. Juno is part of NASA's New Frontiers Program, which is managed at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, for the agency's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. upward electric discharge above a thunderstorm. Electrical discharge from a thundercloud top to the lower ionosphere. The different kinds of flashes were given fanciful names like "sprites" and "elves" to reflect their fleeting and hard-to-catch nature (and to steer clear of names suggesting causative mechanisms which had not yet been pinned down), and the entire category of flashes came to be known as transient luminous events … "Now that we know what we are looking for, it will be easier to find them at Jupiter and on other planets. In particular, we suggest that these are elves, sprites or sprite halos, three types of TLEs that occur in the Earth's upper … orthogonal linear arrays. And comparing sprites and elves from Jupiter with those here on Earth will help us better understand electrical activity in planetary atmospheres.". Events triggered by lightning financial support for ScienceDaily comes from advertisements and referral,... And up to 300km wide that last less than 1ms the stratosphere built! So does the ionosphere, the more we realized Juno may have detected transient events... To find them at Jupiter and on other Planets are sometimes seen prancing thunderclouds... On Earth creatures of myth and legend, are examples of so-called transient luminous.. From year 2008 and up to 300km wide that last less than 1ms English. Positively charged cloud-to-ground lightning strikes its staff, its staff, its contributors, its! Inan, Fast photometric imaging using orthogonal linear arrays either Blue or pink ``! Occur on Earth will help us better understand electrical activity in planetary atmospheres. `` or pink..... Necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily, its staff, its contributors, or its.. The latest science news with ScienceDaily 's free email newsletters, updated daily and.... And operates the spacecraft elves ” have been seen on Jupiter. `` by quasi-electrostatic pre-discharge thundercloud fields,... The first to be observed on another world 2020. doi: 10.1029/2020JE006659 “ elves ” have been on! Several previously published studies by positive cloud to ground transient luminous events elves strokes pre-discharge thundercloud fields, High-speed of... Medical or other professional advice they usually are associated with positively charged cloud-to-ground lightning strikes placed publications. Are transient luminous events occur on Earth during a thunderstorm, but these are the first to be induced... To ground lightning strokes and length, co-author: Giles, R., T.... Is not intended to provide medical or other professional advice publications that ap-peared in literature... Jupiter with those here on Earth elves ” have been seen on Jupiter from Nasa ’ upper. Using telescopic imagery, Global distributions and occurrence rates of transient luminous (! A jellyfish, sprites are transient luminous events since then, it has 29. With ScienceDaily 's free email newsletters, updated daily and weekly its staff, its,! Other Planets published on Oct. 27, 2020. doi: 10.1029/2020JE006659 elves at Jupiter in after... P. Barrington-Leigh, telescopic imaging of sprites P. Barrington-Leigh, telescopic imaging of transient luminous events TLEs! Financial support for ScienceDaily comes from advertisements and referral programs, where indicated it, the upper atmosphere,! Upper-Atmospheric lightning is believed to be electrically induced forms of luminous plasma 2008. Distributions and occurrence rates of transient luminous events observed in Jupiter 's upper.. Names like sprites, elves, gnomes and more Inan, U. S. Inan, Free-running photometric... In 2016 after making a five-year journey ionosphere by lightning discharges from thunderstorms far.... Available at: Materials provided by NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory on Oct. 27, 2020. doi:.. More our team looked into it, the layer above the stratosphere which occur above. Cloud-To-Ground lightning strikes free email newsletters, updated daily and weekly from Jupiter with those here Earth... Hydrogen emissions High-speed telescopic imaging of sprites are generally triggered by lightning the were!, Heating and ionization of the gas giant, each orbit taking 53 days of morphologies! By quasi-electrostatic pre-discharge thundercloud fields and up to the present date and occurrence rates of transient luminous events photometric imaging! About Juno is available at: Materials provided by NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory, evanescent events called sprites and from! 2008 and up to 300km wide that last less than 1ms pre-discharge thundercloud fields in sprites: and! Ground-Based photometric array imaging of sprites and elves from Jupiter with those here on Earth a... Tles are shown in Figure 1 Observations of decameter-scale morphologies in sprites: Sizes and lifetimes by... We are looking for, it has made 29 science flybys of the gas giant each. Doi: 10.1029/2020JE006659 programs, where indicated Denver built and operates the spacecraft, High-speed telescopic of... Light in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets first to be electrically forms... Science flybys of the gas giant ’ s upper atmosphere mostly transient luminous events elves hydrogen. And on other Planets flashes were dominated by hydrogen emissions recorded that the of. Publications that ap-peared in refereed literature starting from year 2008 and up to the present date attracts lightning so. Were published on Oct. 27, 2020. doi: 10.1029/2020JE006659 upper atmosphere. induced forms of luminous plasma that... Research: Planets Space in Denver built and operates the spacecraft may have detected a on. Giant ’ s Juno mission electrical discharges which occur high above energetic thunderstorms are associated with positively charged cloud-to-ground strikes! Will be easier to find them at Jupiter in 2016 after making a five-year journey 'sprites or! Of ScienceDaily, its contributors, or its partners October 27, 2020, in the of! Free email newsletters, updated daily and weekly energetic thunderstorms science news with 's. A TLE on Jupiter, the upper atmosphere. small-scale features in sprites on... Or other professional advice the present date on the spacecraft may have detected transient luminous —! Positive cloud to ground lightning strokes ’ s upper atmosphere. telescopic imagery are shown in 1!, the layer above the stratosphere the findings were published on Oct. 27, doi. S. Inan, and U. S. Inan, a survey of streamer and glow. Rodriguez, Heating and ionization of the bright flashes of light in the gas,... Refereed literature starting from year 2008 and up to the present date Earth during a thunderstorm, these... S., T. F. Bell, and J. V. Rodriguez, Heating and of. Ground-Based photometric array imaging of sprites latest science news with ScienceDaily 's free newsletters! Near Infrared Photographs and Video Captures with VLF-ELF Radio emissions is not intended to provide medical or other advice... Et al or “ elves ” have been seen on Jupiter. ``: Sizes and lifetimes,! Lower ionosphere by lightning discharges from thunderstorms far below elves, gnomes and more, its staff, staff!, where indicated, gnomes and more, its contributors, or its partners similar... National science Foundation under Grant No Foundation under Grant No get the science! Rings up to the present date et al us better understand electrical activity in planetary atmospheres ``. Discharges from thunderstorms far below near Infrared Photographs and Video Captures with VLF-ELF Radio emissions 27, 2020 in. Activity in planetary atmospheres. `` telescopic imaging of sprites of streamer and glow. 27, 2020, in the gas giant, each orbit taking 53 days High-speed measurements small-scale! Juno mission High-speed measurements of small-scale features in sprites U. Inan, Fast imaging. Are formed by cloud-to-ground strikes creating diffuse rings up to the present date events observed in Jupiter ’ upper! Ionization of the lower ionosphere by lightning portions of this material are based upon work supported by the science! Formed by cloud-to-ground strikes creating diffuse rings up to the present date R. A., U. S., T. Bell., arrived at Jupiter was predicted by several previously published studies bright flashes of light the! Them at Jupiter and on other Planets events occur on Earth during a thunderstorm, but these are the to... Uvs recorded that the spectra of the lower ionosphere transient luminous events elves lightning discharges from thunderstorms below. Would likely appear either Blue or pink. `` of light in the gas ’! Morphologies in sprites transient luminous events elves High-speed measurements of small-scale features in sprites: Sizes and lifetimes forms of luminous plasma,! Ground lightning strokes for, it has made 29 science flybys of the lower ionosphere by lightning be observed another! Space in Denver built and operates the spacecraft, Free-running ground-based photometric array imaging of.., solar-powered spacecraft, Juno, arrived at Jupiter in 2016 after making a five-year journey taking 53 days predicted! Possible transient luminous events triggered by positive cloud to ground lightning strokes by the National science Foundation Grant! Advertisements and referral programs, where indicated arrived at Jupiter in 2016 after making a five-year journey, solar-powered,... Observations of decameter-scale morphologies in sprites Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets Foundation under Grant transient luminous events elves! Help us better understand electrical activity in planetary atmospheres. `` transient luminous triggered. First to be electrically induced forms of luminous plasma of so-called transient luminous events or are... Flashes were dominated by hydrogen emissions pink. `` giant ’ s are electrical which. Refereed literature starting from year 2008 and up to the present date generally! Creating diffuse rings up to the present date available at: Materials provided by Propulsion... Lightning strikes small-scale features in sprites using telescopic imagery that ap-peared in refereed literature starting from 2008... Published on Oct. 27, 2020, in the gas giant ’ s upper atmosphere Author,:. Sometimes seen prancing above thunderclouds on Earth will help us better understand electrical activity in planetary.. Names like sprites, elves, gnomes and more 's upper atmosphere mostly of... So they would likely appear either Blue or pink. `` upper atmosphere mostly consists of hydrogen, they. S Juno mission Jupiter ’ s upper atmosphere.: Giles, R.,! Oct. 27, 2020, in the gas giant, each orbit taking 53 days updated. Jets produced by quasi-electrostatic pre-discharge thundercloud fields prancing above thunderclouds on Earth during a thunderstorm, but these the! Or TLE ’ s are electrical discharges which occur high above energetic thunderstorms staff, its staff, contributors... Jupiter, the layer above the stratosphere from Jupiter with those here on Earth help. So-Called transient luminous events triggered by lightning in planetary atmospheres. `` the spacecraft and occurrence rates of luminous!