Editing Thermosphere (section)

==Phenomena in the thermosphere==


[[ELVES]] are a type of upper-atmospheric lightning that occur at the lower boundary of the thermosphere. They often appear at {{convert|100|km|mi|abbr=on}} [[sea level|above the ground]] over [[thunderstorm]]s as a expanding and flat dimly red glow around {{convert|400|km|mi|abbr=on}} in diameter that lasts for typically one [[millisecond]].<ref name="IxAe1">[http://alum.mit.edu/www/cpbl/elves ELVES, a primer: Ionospheric Heating By the Electromagnetic Pulses from Lightning<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> ELVES were first recorded on a [[Space Shuttle]] mission off [[French Guiana]] on October 7, 1990.<ref name="space shuttle">{{cite journal |url=https://lightning.nsstc.nasa.gov/bookshelf/pubs/sprites.html |title=The Role of the Space Shuttle Videotapes in the Discovery of Sprites, Jets, and Elves |journal=Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics |first1=W. L. |last1=Boeck |first2=O. H. |last2=Vaughan |first3=R. J. |last3=Blakesleee |first4=B. |last4=Vonnegut |first5=M. |last5=Brook |display-authors=1 |volume=60 |issue=7–9 |pages=669–677 |date=May 1998 |doi=10.1016/S1364-6826(98)00025-X |bibcode=1998JASTP..60..669B}}</ref>

ELVES is a whimsical [[acronym]] for "emissions of light and very low frequency perturbations due to electromagnetic pulse sources."<ref name="IWi9o">[http://www.thefreedictionary.com/elves The Free Dictionary – ELVES]</ref> This refers to the process by which the light is generated; the excitation of [[nitrogen]] molecules due to [[electron]] collisions (the electrons possibly having been energized by the [[Electromagnetism|electromagnetic]] pulse caused by a discharge from an underlying thunderstorm).<ref>{{Cite web| last = Valter Binotto| title = Valter Binotto on Instagram| work = Instagram| access-date = 2023-04-05| date = 2023-04-05| url = https://www.instagram.com/p/CqpwfZct3Lg/}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web| last = Filippo Thiery| title = Filippo Thiery on Instagram| work = Instagram| access-date = 2023-04-05| date = 2023-04-04| url = https://www.instagram.com/reel/CqoCveFOUg8/}}</ref>