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‘Sprites’ Frolic in Jupiter’s Atmosphere

The lightning phenomenon known as a sprite depicted at Jupiter in this illustration
The lightning phenomenon known as a sprite depicted at Jupiter in this illustration.

This illustration shows the lightning phenomenon known as a sprite and what a sprite could look like in Jupiter’s atmosphere. Named after a mischievous, quick-witted character in English folklore, sprites last for only a few milliseconds. They feature a central blob of light with long tendrils of light extending down toward the ground and upward. In Earth’s upper atmosphere, their interaction with nitrogen give sprites a reddish hue. At Jupiter, where the predominance of hydrogen in the upper atmosphere would likely give them a blue hue.

Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI