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Blue jets are a rare type of electrical discharge that emanates from the top of cumulonimbus clouds during thunderstorms. These phenomena, along with red sprites, are flashes of light that occur above thunderstorms and are linked to lightning within the cloud below.12

Blue jets are characterized by upward-moving jets of blue light that shoot out from cloudtops at speeds exceeding 60 miles per second, reaching altitudes of up to 30 miles. They appear as narrow cones of blue light. The exact causes of blue jets and red sprites are still subjects of active research.12

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