Rare ‘Double’ Lightning Phenomena With Massive Red Rings Light Up the Alps

For a brief moment last year, northern Italy's night sky offered a spectacle rarely seen in a lifetime. From his home in Possagno, nestled in the Alps, photographer Valter Binotto captured an image showing two of Earth's rarest lightning phenomena—a glowing red ring called an elve and a crimson sprite—occurring at the same time. Elves and sprites are forms of Transient Luminous Events (TLEs), which flash high above thunderstorms, lighting up thin upper-atmosphere air instead of zapping anything below.

Having both of these happen in the same frame is a unique situation and provides a rare glimpse into Earth's fleeting electrical displays.

Stunning Double Capture of Elve and Sprite Illuminates Fleeting Upper-Atmosphere Lightning Phenomena

According to a NASA report, an elve (Emission of Light and Very Low Frequency perturbations due to Electromagnetic Pulse Sources) occurs when an intense lightning strike sends an electromagnetic pulse rippling up to the ionosphere. This pulse causes nitrogen molecules miles away to briefly glow, sometimes extending hundreds of miles across and lasting just milliseconds. Sprites resemble branching crimson tendrils rising above storms and are also highly transient.

Binotto, who has taken photos of elves before, said the double capture was one of his most startling images. Shot with a Sony A7S and a 50mm f/1.4 lens, the image was one frame from a video captured at 25 fps—a frame that helps advance the study of TLEs and our understanding of upper-atmosphere lightning phenomena.

High-Speed Imaging Reveals Rare TLEs, Advancing Understanding of Thunderstorm-Earth Atmosphere Interactions

This rare capture highlights the value of persistent observation and high-speed imaging in documenting TLEs. It supports scientific studies on how thunderstorms interact with the upper atmosphere and the dynamic electrical processes of Earth's skies.