Red Lightning Unveiled: 15 Shocking Discoveries That Will Electrify Your Mind!

14. Maroon Sprites: Jellyfish-Shaped Red Lightning

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Deep red and unique jellyfish-like form define the fascinating subset of sprite lightning known as maroon sprites. Usually occurring between 50 and 90 km, these events are among the most frequent ones of red lightning and occasionally span vertical distances of up to 50 kilometres. These sprites show especially strong maroon colour, probably because of a mix of elements including the energy of the electrical discharge and the atmospheric density at their altitude. Maroon sprites differ from other kinds of sprites in their intricate construction, which includes a bulbous "head" area and several tentacle-like filaments running downward. Recent high-speed camera studies show that the generation of maroon sprites happens in a fraction of a second, with the head area forming first then the fast development of the descending branches follows. Maroon sprites have been found to be frequently connected with especially strong positive cloud-to- ground lightning strikes, implying a link between the intensity of the triggering lightning and the size and complexity of the ensuing sprite. New understanding of the transmission of electrical discharges in the upper atmosphere and the function of these events in the worldwide atmospheric electrical circuit is coming from research on maroon sprites. Certain research indicate that maroon sprites might even affect the mesosphere's chemistry, therefore affecting other atmospheric processes at high altitudes such ozone concentrations.