Space enthusiasts are enthralled with the breathtaking photos that NASA frequently shares from our universe. This time, the US satellite agency released an amazing photo of enormous jets shooting out of a thunderstorm and toward the Himalayas in Bhutan and China. This composite photo, which was released last week by NASA as the Astronomy Picture of the Day, shows four lengthy jets that were taken a few minutes apart. The ionosphere, the part of the atmosphere that is ionized by solar and cosmic radiation, and thunderstorms are connected by this lightning discharge, which was only observed in the twenty-first century.
"Gigantic jets seen here are seen launching into the Himalayan Mountains in China and Bhutan during a thunderstorm last week. Four extended jets that transpired mere minutes apart were recorded in the combined picture. The satellite agency described the image as"a type of lightning discharge that happens high above certain thunderstorms, between the Earth's ionosphere and the thunderstorm." Only this century have giant jets been seen." As stated by NASA, ordinary cloud-to-cloud and cloud-to-ground lightning is not at all like these enormous jets; instead, they are an uncommon phenomenon.
Furthermore, massive jets can reach up to 80 kilometers above Earth's surface and possess 50 times the strength of a typical lightning strike, according to weather.com. The exact mechanisms and triggers behind these amazing jets are still unknown, despite continuous research. That being said, the space agency clarified, their function in maintaining equilibrium between the electrical charges in the various levels of the atmosphere is known. A strong but far-off thunderstorm viewed from a clear vantage point provides the best opportunity for anyone interested in witnessing this event, according to NSAS.
Under the correct circumstances, these jets, which usually shoot upward from the storm tops into the ionosphere, can frequently be seen from hundreds of kilometers distant, it continued. A similar incident occurred in 2019, when a passenger on a plane captured a picture of a massive jet lightning that was visible beyond the wing of the airplane. NASA reported that the jet was photographed above Bhadrak, India, in a single 3.2-second exposure.
