On Sprites and Their Exotic Kin

Sprites--giant flashes of light illuminating the sky above thunderstorms--were discovered only 15 years ago. In his Perspective, Neubert reviews recent research into these and other electrical phenomena (such as blue jets) in Earth9s atmosphere. He highlights attempts to elucidate the physics of sprites and jets and their possible effect on the atmosphere. Whether they alter greenhouse gas concentrations in the stratosphere and mesosphere or modulate the atmospheric electric circuit remains to be shown.