Astronomy Picture of the Day ·

Red Sprite Lightning over the Andes

The Astronomy Picture of the Day for March 30, 2021 is “Red Sprite Lightning over the Andes,” an image. The picture is copyrighted by its creator (Image Credit & Copyright: Yuri Beletsky ( Carnegie Las Campanas Observatory , TWAN )). The original explanation runs about 131 words.

Several red sprite lightning plumes are pictured over the Andes Mountains. See Explanation.
Credit: Image Credit & Copyright: Yuri Beletsky ( Carnegie Las Campanas Observatory , TWAN ) Copyrighted Shown from science.nasa.gov. Not hosted by OpenOrbit.

From the explanation

“What are those red filaments in the sky? They are a rarely seen form of lightning confirmed only about 30 years ago: red sprites .”

— APOD editors, March 30, 2021

Read the full explanation on science.nasa.gov

At a glance

Date
March 30, 2021
Type
Image
Credit
Credit: Image Credit & Copyright: Yuri Beletsky ( Carnegie Las Campanas Observatory , TWAN )
Copyright
Copyrighted by the credited creator. Ask the copyright holder before reusing it.
Explanation length
About 131 words

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Source

Copy taken Oct 28, 2026, 2:39 AM EDT. The image and explanation belong to their creators. OpenOrbit is not affiliated with or endorsed by NASA.