APOD: 2021 September 29 - Gigantic Jet Lightning from Puerto Rico

Good morning, Rallypoint. Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD) is titled "Gigantic Jet Lightning from Puerto Rico." Gigantic jets are transient luminous events (TLE) also known as upper-atmospheric lightning or ionospheric lightning and are believed to be electrically induced forms of luminous plasma. You've probably heard about some of the different classes of TLEs before (e.g. sprites, halos, pixies, etc). TLEs are secondary phenomena that occur in the upper atmosphere in association with underlying thunderstorm lightning. But all that is for another thread. Let's get back to today's gigantic jet.

This Gigantic Jet plasma event occurred over a very powerful thunderstorm near the Virgin Islands and also near Tropical Storm Peter. The video clip is six seconds long. It was recorded on Sept 20, 2021, at 10:41 pm (02:41 UTC) facing NE from Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico. Here are the photographer's (Frankie Lucerna) comments: "“This is the brightest Gigantic Jet I have ever seen. It was truly remarkable.”

I would agree.