Astronomy Picture of the Day

   [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                              2025 December 23
    [2]Trees on a hilltop are seen in a starry sky but with clouds on the
    far horizon. A strange red circular band of light is seen in the sky.
     Near this band's center, some bright jellyfish like structures are
     visible. Please see the explanation for more detailed information.

             Red Sprites and Circular Elves Lightning over Italy
                 Image Credit & Copyright: [3]Valter Binotto

   Explanation: What's happening in the sky? [4]Lightning. The most
   commonly seen type of [5]lightning involves flashes of [6]bright white
   light between clouds. Over the past 50 years, though, other [7]types of
   upper-atmospheric lightning have been confirmed, including tentacled
   red [8]sprites and ringed [9]ELVES. Although both last only a small
   fraction of a second, [10]sprites are brighter and easier to photograph
   than their more common [11]electrical-discharge cousins. [12]ELVES are
   rapidly expanding rings that are thought to be created when an
   [13]electromagnetic pulse shoots upward from charged clouds and impacts
   the [14]ionosphere, causing [15]nitrogen molecules to glow. Capturing
   either form of lightning takes patience and experience -- capturing
   them [16]both together, since they usually occur separately, is rare.
   The [17]featured image is a frame from a video recorded from
   [18]Possagno, [19]Italy late last month above a distant
   [20]thunderstorm over the [21]Adriatic Sea.

                      Tomorrow's picture: mystery dots
     __________________________________________________________________

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    Authors & editors: [33]Robert Nemiroff ([34]MTU) & [35]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([36]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Amber Straughn [37]Specific rights apply.
            [38]NASA Web Privacy, [39]Accessibility, [40]Notices;
                A service of: [41]ASD at [42]NASA / [43]GSFC,
                         [44]NASA Science Activation
                           & [45]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2512/SpriteElf_binotto_1500.jpg
   3. https://www.instagram.com/valterbinotto/
   4. https://www.lightningmaps.org/
   5. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap220919.html
   6. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap210524.html
   7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upper-atmospheric_lightning#/media/File:Lightning_sprites.jpg
   8. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap231002.html
   9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upper-atmospheric_lightning#Elves
  10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upper-atmospheric_lightning#Sprites
  11. https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ucMJhP_Y3q0
  12. https://malevus.com/elves/
  13. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electromagnetic_pulse
  14. https://science.nasa.gov/earth/10-things-to-know-about-the-ionosphere/
  15. https://science.nasa.gov/kids/earth/atmosphere/
  16. https://www.rd.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/ShortStack_264482286_1_Joe_Head_MLedit.jpg?fit=750,750&original_fit=696,464
  17. https://www.instagram.com/p/DSFhlz_DKSF/
  18. https://youtu.be/0jnyeOwPbNQ
  19. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italy
  20. https://science.nasa.gov/earth/earth-observatory/the-anatomy-of-a-thunderstorm-78101/
  21. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adriatic_Sea
  22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap251222.html
  23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  26. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  28. https://apod.com/feed.rss
  29. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  30. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  31. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=251223
  32. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap251224.html
  33. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  34. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  35. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  36. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  37. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  38. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  39. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/
  40. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/
  41. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  42. https://www.nasa.gov/
  43. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  44. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  45. http://www.mtu.edu/