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PIA23990: Jovian Sprite (Illustration)
The lightning phenomenon known as a sprite depicted at Jupiter in this illustration. Jupiter's hydrogen-rich atmosphere would likely make them appear blue. In Earth's upper atmosphere, the presence of nitrogen gives them a reddish color.
 Target Name:  Jupiter
 Is a satellite of:  Sol (our sun)
 Product Size:  1185 x 1973 pixels (w x h) 
 Produced By:  SwRI 
 Full-Res TIFF:  PIA23990.tif (4.375 MB)
 Full-Res JPEG:  PIA23990.jpg (115.4 kB)  

Click on the image above to download a moderately sized image in JPEG format (possibly reduced in size from original)

Original Caption Released with Image:

This illustration shows what a sprite could look like in Jupiter's atmosphere. Named after a mischievous, quick-witted character in English folklore, sprites last for only a few milliseconds. They feature a central blob of light with long tendrils of light extending down toward the ground and upward. In Earth's upper atmosphere, their interaction with nitrogen give sprites a reddish hue. At Jupiter, where the predominance of hydrogen in the upper atmosphere would likely give them a blue hue.

Image Credit:
NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI

Image Addition Date:
2020-10-27