What the species is and where it came from
Upper-atmospheric lightning is not a species but a collective term for transient luminous events (TLEs): sprites, blue jets, gigantic jets, ELVES, trolls, pixies, ghosts, and gnomes — all short-lived, electrically induced luminous plasma phenomena occurring well above thunderstorms and normal lightning.
How it works, in terms someone would actually use
It is a short-lived electrical-breakdown phenomenon occurring well above thunderstorms and normal lightning — triggered by positive cloud-to-ground discharges in the case of sprites, or erupting upward from cloud tops at 100–140 km/s for blue jets.
What it gets right
It correctly identifies a class of real, globally distributed, electrically induced luminous plasma events — verified from ground, aircraft, space shuttle, and ISS — with distinct morphologies, altitudes, durations, and triggers.
What it does not
It does not behave like tropospheric lightning: it lacks hot plasma channels, sustained current flow, and predictable branching. It is not audible, not thermally significant at ground level, and not detectable without low-light, high-speed imaging.
What it changed
It changed how scientists model energy transfer between troposphere and ionosphere — showing electrical coupling extends far higher than previously confirmed.
Who it is for, and who it is not
It is for atmospheric physicists, space-weather observers, and high-altitude imaging specialists. It is not for casual skywatchers without calibrated low-light cameras, nor for educators needing simple analogues — no TLE has been reliably seen with the naked eye under typical conditions.
Is it worth your time
Yes — if you are equipped to observe from high ground, aircraft, or orbit, and seek phenomena that reveal how Earth’s atmospheric layers couple electrically.
