Spritacular: NASA’s new citizen science project to capture elusive upper atmospheric electrical phenomena on camera

A flash of lightning, after which—one thing else. Excessive above the storm, a crimson determine blinks out and in of existence. Should you see it, you’re a fortunate witness of a sprite, one of many least-understood electrical phenomena in Earth’s higher environment. However in the event you catch it on digital camera, your photograph might contribute to a ground-breaking scientific discovery.

NASA’s latest citizen science mission, Spritacular (pronounced sprite-tacular), leverages the ability of crowdsourcing to advance the research of sprites and different Transient Luminous Occasions, or TLEs. TLEs embody a spread {of electrical} phenomena that happen above thunderstorms and produce temporary flashes of light. The brand new citizen science mission goals to attach skilled scientists with members of the general public who would love their camerawork to contribute to scientific research.

“Folks seize fantastic photos of sprites, however they’re shared sporadically over the web and many of the scientific group is unaware of those captures,” mentioned Dr. Burcu Kosar, a space physicist at NASA’s Goddard Area Flight Heart in Greenbelt, Maryland and Spritacular principal investigator. “Spritacular will bridge this hole by creating the primary crowdsourced database of sprites and different TLEs that’s accessible and available for scientific analysis.”

Sprites happen at some 50 miles (80 kilometers) altitude, excessive above thunderstorms. They seem moments after a lightning strike—a sudden reddish flash that may take a spread of shapes, usually combining diffuse plumes and shiny, spiny tendrils. Some sprites have a tendency to bounce over the storms, turning on and off one after one other. Many questions on how and why they type stay unanswered.

Eyewitness experiences of unusual flashes of sunshine above thunderstorms date again lots of of years, but it surely wasn’t till 1989 that the primary such occasion was caught on digital camera. Researchers from the College of Minnesota have been testing a low-light TV digital camera for an upcoming rocket flight mission. By sheer accident, their digital camera captured the very first credible proof for what we now name sprites.

“It wasn’t a really excessive decision or quick digital camera—they simply captured two luminous blobs above a close-by thunderstorm,” Kosar mentioned. “The entire subject was kickstarted as a result of a digital camera was pointed in the best course on the proper time.”

Scientists dubbed these elusive occasions “sprites,” a reference to legendary fairy-like creatures from European folklore. As different kinds of TLEs have been found, the playful naming conference caught. At the moment, scientists research ELVES, Halos, Blue Jets, Gigantic Jets, and extra.

But we nonetheless have far too few observations of sprites and different TLEs, and there may be a lot we do not know. A few of the main excellent questions embody:

• How usually do sprites happen? Why do they take the shapes they do?
• What situations within the higher environment set off sprite initiation?
• How do sprites have an effect on Earth’s international electrical circuit, and what’s their contribution to the vitality in Earth’s higher environment?
• How are sprites linked with gravity waves, which ship wind-driven ripples of vitality by means of our higher environment?

Answering these questions might result in main advances within the science of Earth’s higher environment. However to get there, Spritacular wants your assist.

Grow to be a Spritacular citizen scientist

The primary objective of Spritacular is to construct a picture database: A group of observations of sprites and different TLEs that may assist reply the questions above.

Many commercially accessible, digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) cameras are appropriate for capturing sprites. The toughest half is understanding when and the place to look. By bringing collectively skilled “sprite-chasers” and offering academic assist and sources, Spritacular goals to offer all of the steerage you want for a profitable seize.

Should you imagine you could have captured a photograph of a sprite or different TLEs, you may create an account after which submit your pictures and photograph particulars (time and site of the photograph) to Spritacular. Correct time and site particulars are most well-liked, however approximate time and site will even be accepted with adequate element. To submit a photograph, you have to be the photographer who captured it.

All submitted pictures can be reviewed by scientists. Submitters who collaborate with scientists and whose picture results in a scientific research or discovery can be correctly acknowledged or listed as a coauthor on the ensuing scientific publication, relying on the extent of contribution.

The broader objective of Spritacular is to foster a mutual alternate between observers of TLEs and the scientific group and to encourage citizen scientists all all over the world to take part within the investigation of those elusive occasions. Because the Spritacular group and picture database grows, Kosar is planning to implement new software program instruments to mechanically cross-reference submissions with databases on lightning and thunderstorms. These instruments will permit customers to investigate their very own photos and contribute to the scientific technique.

Spritacular is a citizen science project in collaboration with the Catholic College of America in Washington, D.C. The principal investigator is Dr. Burcu Kosar and co-investigator is Dr. Jia Yue.