Archive · 13 Dec 2025
Rare Red Sprites and ELVE Captured Together
A photographer named Valter Binotto took a very special picture in the sky.
He saw two rare things happening at the same time.
One is called a Red Sprite, which looks like a red flash with wavy lines, like a jellyfish.
The other is called an ELVE, which looks like a thin, glowing ring.
Both happen because of a very strong lightning strike.
They are very hard to see and even harder to photograph.
Valter has been trying for over 10 years and has only seen a few ELVEs.
He used special cameras and a lot of patience to take this picture.
Valter Binotto captured two rare atmospheric phenomena, Red Sprites and ELVE, simultaneously in Possagno, Italy.
These phenomena were triggered by a powerful lightning strike over the Adriatic Sea.
Red Sprites appear as red flashes with tendrils, resembling jellyfish, above thunderstorms.
ELVEs are thin, glowing disks in the higher ionosphere, triggered by electromagnetic energy from intense lightning.
Capturing these events requires specialized equipment and extreme patience, with ELVEs being rarer than Red Sprites.
- Who
- Valter Binotto, an Italian wildlife and atmospheric photographer
- What
- Captured two rare atmospheric phenomena, Red Sprites and ELVE, simultaneously
- When
- A few weeks ago (exact date not specified)
- Where
- Possagno, near Venice, Italy
- Why
- Triggered by a powerful lightning strike over the Adriatic Sea
- Photographer
- Valter Binotto
- Location
- Possagno, near Venice, Italy
- Phenomena Captured
- Red Sprites and ELVE
- Trigger
- Powerful lightning strike over the Adriatic Sea
- Rarity
- Extremely rare, especially ELVE
- Photography Requirements
- Telephoto lens up to 300 mm, aperture of 1.3, high frame rate, tripod, patience, and dedication
- Photographer's Experience
- Over 10 years, hundreds of sprites, only three ELVEs