Track lightning and sprites from
ground and space
Global observations of thunderstorms, lightning and TLEs (Transient Luminous Events) correlated with international ground campaigns.
500
Students
15
Schools that take part
10
Days in space
1
Astronaut in ISS
The launch to space begins...
About our reaserch
ILAN-ES aims to study electrical phenomena above thunderstorms, known as Transient Luminous Events: blue jets propagating from cloud tops to the stratosphere (~40 km), gigantic jets from clouds to the ionosphere (~ 90 km), and ELVES and red sprites initiated above tropospheric thunderstorms inside the mesosphere (50-90 km). Observations will enhance our understanding of the coupling processes between the lower and upper atmosphere. Space imaging will be augmented by a global ground-based campaign, with lightning location networks in different spectral ranges (ELF, VLF) as well as optical cameras operated by international research groups and a network of schools and amateurs. Daily operations will rely on forecasts of thunderstorm targets that will be relayed to the astronaut on-board the ISS, in a similar manner to the MEIDEX that was conducted on-board space-shuttle Columbia in 2003 by the late Col. Ilan Ramon.
Project steps
Worldwide lightning location systems
Weather prediction of thunder
storms
Simultaneous observations from ground and space
Data acquisition and analysis
Publication of results to the public and science community
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A global network of ground observers
But, Why Is It Important?
Lightning and sprites affect the chemical composition of the atmosphere and generate NOx, which is Greenhouse Gases.
Thunderstorms are also sensitive to temperature and respond strongly to climate change
Who We Are
- Prof. Yoav Yair
- Prof. Colin Price
- Dr. Roy Yaniv
- Mrs. Tali Livne
- Students from the school of sustainability at Reichman University
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