On November 26, the skies over northern Italy presented a brief but remarkable display that even experienced observers might never see in their lifetimes.
Simultaneous Capture of Rare Events
From his residence in Possagno, located in the Italian Alps foothills, photographer Valter Binotto managed to photograph two of Earth's most uncommon atmospheric occurrences appearing together: an elve and a sprite.
Both phenomena are part of a category called Transient Luminous Events (TLEs), which happen high above thunderstorm systems rather than within them. Unlike typical lightning that moves downward between clouds or toward the surface, TLEs illuminate the thin atmosphere near space's boundary.
According to NOAA, an elve manifests as a large, faint red ring that can expand to 300 miles (480 kilometers) in diameter and exists for less than one-thousandth of a second. NASA explains that they form when a strong lightning discharge sends an electromagnetic pulse upward into the ionosphere, causing nitrogen molecules to emit a brief red glow. Their extremely short duration makes them particularly challenging to record.
Sprites, in comparison, frequently look like red jellyfish or branching structures rising above thunderstorms. They are the most frequently seen type of TLE, yet remain difficult to predict and last only milliseconds. Initiatives such as Spritacular encourage photographers globally to record sprites and related events to assist researchers in learning more about how thunderstorms affect Earth's upper atmosphere.
Photographing either phenomenon alone is an achievement. Obtaining both in one image is exceptional. "This has been one of the most surprising and exciting photos I've ever taken," Binotto told Space.com in an email. "Elves are already very rare, and the double phenomenon even more so. I don't think there are similar photographs today."
To achieve this image, Binotto employed a Sony A7S camera with a 50mm f/1.4 lens. The photograph is a single frame extracted from a video recorded at 25 frames per second.
Binotto has experience pursuing difficult captures. This represents the third elve he has photographed from his Possagno home, but including a sprite elevates his TLE photography to an unprecedented level.
