3. Blue Lightning in Outer Space
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Get ready to wow yourself! Although we usually link lightning with the atmosphere of Earth, blue lightning has been seen in the most unlikely location: deep space. Astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) made this startling discovery when they saw blue jets of lightning flying upward from thunderclouds towards the edge of space. Far higher than typical lightning, these blue jets—a type of blue lightning—can soar elevations of up to 50 kilometres above the surface of Earth. Rising above thunderstorms, the phenomena known as "transient luminous events" consists in sprites, elves, and blue jets, all kinds of upper-atmospheric lightning. This realisation has transformed our knowledge of atmospheric electricity and its interaction with the space environment. The identification of blue lightning in space has opened fresh directions of investigation in atmospheric science, space weather, and even the hunt of livable exoplanets. These space-bound electrical discharges could influence the ionosphere of the Earth and thereby perhaps damage world communication networks, according to scientists today. Apart from improving our understanding of Earth's atmosphere, the research of blue lightning in space offers insights on the atmospheres of other worlds where such events could take place.
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