An extraordinary image captured by a very sensitive camera late last month on a summit of the Vosges mountains in France.

Fireworks? Of a sort, yes. To wit:

Generated over intense thunderstorms, this one about 260 kilometers away, the brief and mysterious flashes have come to be known as red sprites. The transient luminous events are caused by electrical breakdown at altitudes of 50 to 100 kilometers. That puts them in the mesophere, the coldest layer of planet Earth’s atmosphere. The glow beneath the sprites is from more familiar lighting though, below the storm clouds. But on the right, the video frames have captured another summertime apparition from the mesophere. The silvery veins of light are polar mesospheric clouds. Also known as noctilucent or night shining clouds, the icy clouds still reflect the sunlight when the Sun is below the horizon.

(Image: Stephane Vetter (TWAN, Nuits sacrees))

apod

Om.

Play ‘All is Illusion’!

This afternoon.

Inner World collects chants and mantras from the Tibetan spiritual leader and sets his words against music that was recorded by New Zealand musicians Junelle and Abraham Kunin, practicing Buddhists.

Hang on.

Wasn’t he in Buddha Beyond?

Buddha.

I’ll get my robe.

Dalai Lama Drops Debut Album (Stereogum)

This afternoon.

Masked Taoiseach Micheál Martin arrives for a cabinet meeting in Dublin Castle.

He has warned that the planned full reopening of pubs on July 20 could be delayed because of SHOCKING scenes like the one in pic 2 in Dublin on Saturday.

Via RTÉ

Micheál Martin said the Government is worried about scenes in Dublin over the weekend where social distancing and, in some cases, opening hours were not being complied with.

He said:

“We have to put public health first. That is the overarching issue. The only way we can get the economy back is if we keep Covid-19 down. Any change to this would be a disaster for the country.

“There is an obligation on everyone to behave.”

You behave.

Rollingnews

Earlier: Drew’s Company.

Saturday: Worth The Wait

Rollingnews

In fairness.

*collapses into heap*

Earlier: Maestro

Cinema Paradiso (1980)

This afternoon.

Dublin Castle, Dublin 2

The Taoiseach and Fianna Fáil ministers arrive for a cabinet meeting at Dublin Castle. From top: Chief Whip and Minister of State for the Gaeltacht and Sport Dara Calleary (left) and Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly; Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Michael McGrath and Minister for Agriculture and the Marine Barry Cowen.

Gumming for a pint.

Earlier: Mea Gulpa

Rollingnews

This afternoon.

Liveline with Joe Duffy.

Anyone?

Rollingnews

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