Cosmic fireworks: Astronaut’s vivid photo from ISS unlocks secrets of Earth’s electric skies. Watch here

In early July 2025, a dazzling display lit up Earth’s upper atmosphere, captured in a photograph by astronaut Nichole Ayers aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Hovering nearly 400 kilometers above the planet, Ayers documented a brilliant explosion of color — fiery reds fading into cool blues — that has scientists and meteorologists buzzing. The fleeting burst of energy, visible only from the heights of space, offers rare insight into the electrifying dynamics of the atmosphere far above the clouds.

The image shows a vast, lightning-like structure bursting skyward and seemingly connecting with Earth below. Its colors shift from pinkish-red to bright white, tinged with violet and blue hues. Near the base, the energy jet appears to touch the tops of the clouds, casting an otherworldly glow into the atmosphere beneath.

This extraordinary event is known as a sprite — or “farfadet” in French — one of the rarest forms of Transient Luminous Events (TLEs). Unlike typical lightning bolts that flash within the lower troposphere, sprites erupt much higher, in the mesosphere, at altitudes between 50 km and 80 km. Triggered by powerful electrical activity in thunderstorms below, sprites belong to a family of brief but spectacular atmospheric light shows that also includes elves and jets.

Though scientists have studied TLEs for decades, these fleeting events remain notoriously hard to catch. The sprite witnessed by Ayers was especially rare, offering an unprecedented glimpse of a phenomenon that usually lasts only a fraction of a second. TLEs occur above thunderstorms, in the thin air of the mesosphere between the stratosphere and the thermosphere. The jets can shoot upward at speeds from 10 to 145 kilometers per second, forming a luminous bridge between violent weather below and the calmer upper atmosphere. Despite their short duration, they pack tremendous energy and create visuals that are both stunning and scientifically significant.

Meteorologist Matthew Cappucci hailed Ayers’ image as the “clearest photo ever taken of a gigantic jet seen from above.” Such clarity is crucial for scientists hoping to unravel the mysteries of TLEs, which often escape observation due to their transience and altitude. These giant jets can soar as high as 95 kilometers, providing crucial clues about how thunderstorms interact with Earth’s upper atmospheric layers.

Captured as the ISS passed over Mexico and the southern United States, Ayers’ photo is not merely a stunning sight — it’s a valuable scientific asset. The crisp detail reveals a giant jet in a way never before documented, promising to advance researchers’ understanding of how TLEs form, evolve, and influence the atmospheric environment.

This isn’t the first time astronauts have recorded such phenomena. In 2021, astronaut Thomas Pesquet photographed a similar event, though without the same clarity. Ayers’ photograph, however, stands apart for its sharpness and vivid color, setting a new benchmark for the study of high-altitude lightning and the dynamic interplay between storms and space.