Space / 2020-10-27
Possible Jupiter Sprite
NASA's image library records Possible Jupiter Sprite.
The south pole of Jupiter is seen in this annotated image of data from the ultraviolet spectrograph (UVS) instrument aboard NASA's Juno spacecraft. Bands of bright white and blue near the south pole are Jupiter's southern aurora. But researchers also noticed an unusual bright flash of light well away from the auroral region, highlighted here by the
A CLOSER LOOK
The south pole of Jupiter is seen in this annotated image of data from the ultraviolet spectrograph (UVS) instrument aboard NASA's Juno spacecraft. Bands of bright white and blue near the south pole are Jupiter's southern aurora. But researchers also noticed an unusual bright flash of light well away from the auroral region, highlighted here by the yellow circle at about the 10 o'clock position (between longitudinal lines 270 and 240). Juno scientists believe it could be an indication of a bright, unpredictable, and extremely brief flash of light — known as a transient luminous event — that was triggered by lightning discharges from thunderstorms far below. The data for this UVS image was acquired on April 10, 2020. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA24050
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FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
NASA Image and Video LibraryPossible Jupiter SpriteOriginal explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.