---
title: "NASA Crowdsourcing Investigation of Otherworldly “Sprites” in Sky"
description: "NASA is crowdsourcing photos from civilians to study a mysterious light phenomenon that stumped scientists have dubbed \"sprites.\" "
date: "2022-10-27"
modified: "2022-10-27"
authors:
  - name: "Noor Al-Sibai"
    job_title: "Senior Staff Writer"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai"
url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/nasa-crowdsourcing-sprite-research"
categories:
  - "NASA"
  - "Science & Energy"
  - "Space"
tags:
  - "citizen science"
  - "crowdsourcing"
  - "NASA"
  - "the digest"
---

# NASA Crowdsourcing Investigation of Otherworldly “Sprites” in Sky

![NASA is crowdsourcing photos from civilians to study a mysterious light phenomenon that stumped scientists have dubbed "sprites." ](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/nasa-crowdsourcing-citizen-scientists-sprite-lights3.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image: NASA\</em\>*

## Civic Duty

NASA is crowdsourcing photos from civilians to study a mysterious aerial phenomenon that stumped scientists have dubbed "sprites."

The agency [announced the convening](<https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2022/sun/spritacular-nasa-s-new-citizen-science-project-to-capture-elusive-upper-atmospheric>) of its latest "citizen science project," which they're calling "Spritacular" and which will source images of the fascinating — and yes, vaguely otherworldly-looking — sprite phenomenon, as well as other Transient Luminous Events (TLEs) that can occur in proximity to thunderstorms and produce strange flashes of light.

"People capture wonderful images of sprites, but they're shared sporadically over the internet and most of the scientific community is unaware of these captures," Dr. Burcu Kosar, a NASA space physicist and the new project's principal investigator, said in the agency's statement. "Spritacular will bridge this gap by creating the first crowdsourced database of sprites and other TLEs that is accessible and readily available for scientific research."

https://twitter.com/dailyAPOD/status/1569234389598445568

## Accidental Science

As NASA notes, this incredible phenomena wasn't named or documented **i**n modern photos until 1989, when University of Minnesota researchers captured them "by sheer accident" while testing low-light film equipment ahead of a rocket launch.

"It wasn't a very high resolution or fast camera — they just captured two luminous blobs above a nearby thunderstorm," Kosar illuminated. "The whole field was kickstarted because a camera was pointed in the right direction at the right time."

After scientists dubbed these beautiful phantasms "sprites" after the mythical beings from European folklore, the naming convention stuck, with other scientists naming fellow TLEs things like Elves, [Blue Jets](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/space-station-footage-lightning-above>), and Halos.

## Crowd Pleaser

While there's now documentation of these phenomena, scientists still struggle to understand why they happen — and are looking to NASA-enthused citizen scientists and photographers for help figuring that out.

At [Spritacular's brand new website](<https://spritacular.org/>), those who think they've captured a sprite or other TLE are encouraged to create an account and upload their images, along with specifics about the time the photos were taken and their locations.

"The broader goal of Spritacular is to foster a mutual exchange between observers of TLEs and the scientific community," the NASA update notes, "and to inspire citizen scientists all around the world to participate in the investigation of these elusive events."

Now that's a crowdsourcing effort we can get behind.

**More skylights:** [*Space Station Captures Incredible Beautiful Auroras From Above*](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/space-station-captures-auroras-above>)

## Author
At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow.

### Author social links  
[Bluesky](<https://bsky.app/profile/noorfromfuturism.bsky.social>)