Pursuing Sprites Amidst the Charged Skies

Paul Smith, an ardent night-sky enthusiast and skilled photographer, has an unwavering passion for capturing the elusive phenomena known as sprites. These magnificent bursts of light, flickering high above thunderstorms, have ignited his imagination. In a fascinating twist of fate, last October, he embarked on a sprite-chasing adventure with Dr. Burcu Kosar, a dedicated NASA scientist. Despite her over 15 years of studying sprites, this was her first time pursuing one in person.

Guided by Paul's expertise, they navigated the backroads of Oklahoma, venturing into the heart of thunderstorms to witness sprites in all their brilliance. Their remarkable journey is chronicled in a captivating narrative that unveils the beauty and wonder of these ethereal displays.

Discover more about Paul and Burcu's captivating quest in chasing sprites by visiting: https://blogs.nasa.gov/sunspot/2022/10/27/the-great-sprites-chase.

Immerse yourself in NASA's citizen science project "Spritacular," designed to capture the enigmatic upper atmospheric phenomenon: https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2022/sun/spritacular-nasa-s-new-citizen-science-project-to-capture-elusive-upper-atmospheric.

Unveil the essence of the Heliophysics Big Year initiative and delve into the intricate details of this grand scientific pursuit: https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/solar-system/sun/helio-big-year.

Image credits: Paul Smith, Frankie Lucena, Panagiotis Tsouras, Thomas Ashcraft. All imagery of sprites is copyrighted and used with permission.

The evocative music in this narrative is a symphony of compositions:

“The Beauty Beyond” by Jeremy Noel William Abbott [PRS], Vasco [PRS]
“Outer Orbit” by Alexander Ryder Mcnair [ASCAP], Harry Gregson Williams [BMI], Ho Ling Tang [BMI]
“Wonderful Orbit” by Tom Furse Fairfax Cowan [PRS]
“Starlights” by Marc Teitler [PRS], Vasco [PRS]
“A Tranquil End” by Luke Gordon [PRS]
“Virtual Tidings” by Andrew Michael Britton [PRS], David Stephen Goldsmith [PRS]
“Winter Aurora” by Samuel Karl Bohn [PRS]
“Lava Flow” and “Water Dance” by Ben Niblett [PRS], Jon Cotton [PRS].
Produced by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, this video is a testimony to the collaborative efforts of talented individuals:

Producer: Joy Ng (KBRwyle)
Scientist: Burcu Kosar (Catholic University of America)
Photographers: Paul Smith, Frankie Lucena, Panagiotis Tsouras, Thomas Ashcraft
Videographers: Joy Ng, Thomas Smith
Writer: Lina Tran
For those intrigued by the enchanting world of sprites and beyond, the full video is available for sharing and downloading at https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14206. While the video content can be freely shared, certain musical compositions and individual images may have specific permissions, as outlined here: https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14206. For a deeper understanding of NASA's media guidelines, explore https://nasa.gov/multimedia/guidelines.

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