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.
Name | Value | Additional Values |
---|---|---|
Target | Jupiter | |
System | Jupiter | |
Target Type | Planet | |
Mission | ||
Instrument Host | ||
Host Type | ||
Instrument | ||
Detector | ||
Extra Keywords | Atmosphere, Color | |
Acquisition Date | ||
Release Date | 2020-10-27 | |
Date in Caption | ||
Image Credit | NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI | |
Source | photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA23990 | |
Identifier | PIA23990 |