Astronomy Picture of the Day · September 18, 2023

The Red Sprite and the Tree

The Astronomy Picture of the Day for September 18, 2023 is “The Red Sprite and the Tree,” an image. The picture is copyrighted by its creator (Credit & Copyright: Maxime Villaeys). The original explanation runs about 164 words.

A lone tree is seen on the right of a dark grassy field. Above and on the right, a bright red filamentary glow is seen in the sky. The filaments of this glow may seem similar to the branches of the tree. Please see the explanation for more — Credit & Copyright: Maxime Villaeys Copyrighted Shown from science.nasa.gov. Not hosted by OpenOrbit.

From the explanation

“The sprite and tree could hardly be more different. To start, the red sprite is an unusual form of lightning, while the tree is a common plant .”

— APOD editors, September 18, 2023

Read the full explanation on science.nasa.gov

At a glance

Date: September 18, 2023
Type: Image
Credit: Credit & Copyright: Maxime Villaeys
Copyright: Copyrighted by the credited creator. Ask the copyright holder before reusing it.
Explanation length: About 164 words

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Source

Astronomy Picture of the Day, September 18, 2023 — science.nasa.gov/image-article/apod-2023-september-18-the-red-sprite-and-the-tree

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.