Brian Anthony Hernandez Brian Anthony Hernandez, who has nearly 20 years of journalism experience, joined PEOPLE as a writer-editor in 2023. Brian previously worked for Bustle, Billboard, MTV, Mashable and Men's Health. NEED TO KNOW NASA astronaut Nichole Ayers, 36, captured a transient luminous event above thunderstorm clouds on Thursday, July 3 “As we went over Mexico and the U.S. this morning, I caught this sprite,” the former collegiate volleyball player said Ayers is aboard the International Space Station as pilot of SpaceX Dragon’s Crew-10, which arrived at the ISS in March A NASA astronaut is in awe of what she witnessed above the clouds. Nichole Ayers, who is aboard the International Space Station (ISS) as pilot of SpaceX Dragon’s Crew-10, captured the moment when a rare electrical phenomenon occurred above thunderstorm clouds on Thursday, July 3. “Just. Wow,” the 36-year-old astronaut wrote on Instagram alongside a photo of the red jellyfish-like electrical occurrence. “As we went over Mexico and the U.S. this morning, I caught this sprite.” A sprite is “an atmospheric phenomenon associated with lightning,” according to NASA's Earth Observatory. The transient luminous event on July 3, 2025. Nichole Ayers/Instagram Providing more context, Ayers wrote, “Sprites are TLEs or transient luminous events that happen above the clouds and are triggered by intense electrical activity in the thunderstorms below.” “We have a great view above the clouds, so scientists can use these types of pictures to better understand the formation, characteristics, and relationship of TLEs to thunderstorms,” she concluded. Related Stories Neil deGrasse Tyson Says ‘Legions of Angry’ Former Elementary School Students Still Send Him ‘Hate Mail’ (Exclusive)