Red sprites and blue jets: High‐altitude optical emissions linked to lightning

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Two newly discovered classes of high‐altitude atmospheric flashes excited by lightning suggest that the electrical interactions between the lower atmosphere and the upper atmosphere and ionosphere are greater than previously thought. These optical emissions, known as red sprites and blue jets, occur between the tops of some thunderstorms and the ionosphere. Although scattered sightings of these fleeting emissions had been reported for more than a century, it wasn't until about 5 years ago that their existence was first documented.