10 Famous Blue Lightning Strike Events in History, with the 5th Still Unexplained!

4. The Blue Jet of 1989

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Pilots flying over the Caribbean noted in 1989 seeing an odd upward-moving blue lightning bolt that seemed to link the top of a thundercloud to the edge of space. One of the first recorded views of a phenomena now known as a "blue jet," this one Blue jets from the tops of thunderclouds reach altitudes of up to 50 km, unlike conventional lightning that hits downward. The 1989 occurrence challenged the accepted wisdom on atmospheric electricity by offering unambiguous proof of electrical activity occurring above thunderstorms. Based on this observation, researchers started focused studies to investigate these elusive events, which resulted in the identification of various high-altitude electrical discharges including sprites and elves. The Blue Jet of 1989 underlined the complexity of Earth's electrical environment and established a new avenue of research in atmospheric physics, thereby implying still much to learn about the weather systems of the planet and their interaction with the upper atmosphere.