Russian satellite spots light explosions in Earth's atmosphere

Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-12 11:24:39|Editor: WX
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MOSCOW, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- Russian satellite Lomonosov has discovered unexplained light explosion in the Earth's upper atmosphere, according to a Russian scientist.

"During Lomonosov's flight at an altitude of several dozen kilometers, we have registered several times a very powerful 'explosion' of light," Mikhail Panasyuk said.

"It looks like we have encountered new physical phenomena... We do not yet know their physical nature," the professor on cosmic rays at Lomonosov Moscow State University said in an interview with Sputnik.

The explosion happened in the clear sky high above the planet's surface where there were neither storms nor clouds, which makes the discovery baffling as similar electrical bursts are always associated with storm clouds.

Lomonosov satellite was launched in 2016 to observe gamma ray bursts, high energy cosmic rays and transient phenomena in the Earth's upper atmosphere.

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