[MindBender26]

Lightening goes not much higher than clouds. Tops about 60,000 feet max under very extreme conditions.

[Sacajaweau]

Is it possible that Columbia actually hit something floating around or streaking in space??

[laker_dad]

Lightening goes not much higher than clouds. Tops about 60,000 feet max under very extreme conditions.

Check out this: http://www-star.stanford.edu/~vlf/optical/press/mende97sciam/

Sorry don't post enough to remember how to make it a link.

[Boot Hill]

MindBender26 claims:   "Lightening goes not much higher than clouds. Tops about 60,000 feet max under very extreme conditions."

Depends what you mean by "lightning". Associated with lightning are "Red Sprites" and "Blue Jets" that extend upwards beyond 300,000 feet.

Red Sprite Lightning
Credit: D. Sentman, G. Wescott, Geophysical Institute, U. Alaska Fairbanks, NASA

Explanation: Recently two new types of lightning have been verified: red sprites and blue jets. These atmospheric discharges occur very high in the Earth's atmosphere - much higher than the familiar form of lightning. Red sprites appear red in color and go from the tops of clouds to as high as the ionosphere - an ionized layer 90 kilometers above the Earth's surface. They last only a small fraction of a second. The existence of red sprites has been suggested previously, but only in 1994 were aircraft flown above massive thunderstorms with the high speed video equipment necessary to verify these spectacular events. Scientists are unsure of the cause and nature of red sprites.

--Boot Hill

[Paul Ross]

Actually they have photographed 'sprites' which are arcs of electricity ABOVE the atmosphere over areas of general lightning strikes. It is a mysterious phenomenon that is being researched. That being said, the skies over California, Nevada, Arizona, N.M., Texas were all crystal clear. No lightning activity. Ergo, no sprites.

While it is preliminary, perhaps the photographer has cause and effect reversed. I.e., something didn't hit the shuttle, but instead flew off. If the camera's chroma are in fact accurate, then NASA might be able to tell the chemical composition of the debris...and hence what part of the shuttle hull might have broken loose.

The association of the timing with the early failures is strongly suggestive that this is NOT a simple artifact of sloppy camera technique.

And it is also unlikely that it would be a hoax from a professional astronomer...who went out of his way to stay anonymous...and is not 'marketing' the photo.