On Nov. 26, photographer Valter Binotto in Possagno, Italy, captured a rare simultaneous appearance of an elve and a sprite — two types of Transient Luminous Events (TLEs) that occur above thunderstorms. Elves are brief red rings that can span roughly 300 miles (480 km) and last under a thousandth of a second, while sprites resemble crimson jellyfish or tendrils and last only a few milliseconds. Binotto’s image was taken with a Sony A7S and a 50mm f/1.4 lens; the frame was extracted from 25 fps video. This marks his third documented elve and the first time he captured both phenomena together.
Rare Double Flash: Photographer Captures Both an Elve and a Sprite Over Northern Italy
An elve and red sprite captured by Valter Binotto on Nov. 26, 2025. | Credit:Valter Binotto
On Nov. 26, the night sky above Possagno in the foothills of the Italian Alps delivered an extraordinary, split-second display when photographer Valter Binotto recorded an image that shows two of Earth's rare upper-atmosphere flashes — an elve and a sprite — appearing in the same frame.
What Happened
Elves and sprites are types of Transient Luminous Events (TLEs), brief electrical discharges that occur high above thunderstorms rather than within storm clouds. Unlike ordinary lightning that travels between clouds or to the ground, TLEs light the tenuous air near the edge of space, producing vivid but very short-lived glows.
Elves vs. Sprites
Elves show up as wide, ghostly red rings. They can expand up to about 300 miles (480 kilometers) across and typically last under a thousandth of a second, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Elves form when a very powerful lightning strike launches an electromagnetic pulse upward into the ionosphere, briefly exciting nitrogen molecules so they emit red light — a mechanism described by NASA.
Sprites often look like crimson jellyfish or branching tendrils rising above storm systems. While sprites are the most commonly observed TLE type, they remain fleeting and unpredictable, usually lasting only a few milliseconds. Citizen-science projects such as Spritacular invite photographers to document sprites and related phenomena to help researchers study how thunderstorms affect Earth’s upper atmosphere.
About the Photograph
Binotto captured the event with a Sony A7S body and a 50mm f/1.4 lens. The image is a single frame extracted from video he recorded at 25 frames per second, which is how he was able to isolate the simultaneous appearance of both TLEs. "This has been one of the most surprising and exciting photos I've ever taken," Binotto told Space.com. He added that elves are already very uncommon and that capturing an elve and a sprite together was especially remarkable.
Binotto is no stranger to rare upper-atmosphere photography: this is the third elve he has documented from his home in Possagno, but the first time he has captured an elve and a sprite in the same shot.
Why It Matters
Photographs like Binotto's help raise awareness of rarely seen atmospheric phenomena and encourage wider participation in documenting TLEs. Systematic observations by photographers and researchers improve understanding of how powerful thunderstorms influence the ionosphere and the electrical coupling between Earth's lower and upper atmosphere.
Interested in trying night-sky photography? Guides to cameras and lenses for astrophotography can help you get started. If you have an interesting Earth or space photo to share, Space.com invites readers to send images, comments, and location details to spacephotos@space.com.
