A fleeting flash above the storm: What is a lightning sprite?
They look like electric jellyfish and were only recently discovered. If you're in the right place at the right time, you may be able to see a lightning 'sprite.'
By
Jesse Ferrell, AccuWeather meteorologist
Published Oct 15, 2026 9:17 AM EDT
|
Updated Oct 15, 2026 9:17 AM EDT
Photographer Florian Riou captured rare red sprites flashing above a thunderstorm from the village of Calvi, France, on Sept. 16. A sprite is a large discharge of electricity high in the atmosphere.
Blink, and you'll miss it. This photograph showcases a rare atmospheric phenomenon. A red flash, hundreds of miles high above a thunderstorm.
It is visible for less than a tenth of a second and looks like an electric jellyfish. This picture was captured by Florian Riou on Oct. 8, taken from the French island of Corsica looking toward Naples, Italy.
The phenomenon is called a "sprite" and is a large discharge of electricity high in the atmosphere, miles above a severe thunderstorm, that can extend almost to the edge of space, which is considered to be around 62 miles (100 km) above the Earth's surface. Sprites are triggered by lightning in a storm.
Sprites have been observed above every continent except Antarctica, but occur most frequently in the central United States, over severe thunderstorms in Tornado Alley. They have even been documented over powerful tropical systems, such as Hurricane Matthew in 2016, CNET said.
Careful planning and a bit of luck are needed for any hopes of capturing the elusive lightning bolt on camera.
People hoping to photograph the phenomenon for themselves will need to wait for a night when a strong thunderstorm is off in the distance, and visibility is good.
Sprites last only 10-100 milliseconds, which is why they are easy to miss despite being dozens of miles long. You have to be at the right distance from the storm and focused miles above the cloud tops, with very specific camera settings. A long exposure or low-light shot from a DSLR or similar camera is best.
The deep red color is believed to result from lightning interacting with nitrogen in the atmosphere, according to the University of Washington. The phenomenon may also be accompanied by other Transient Luminous Events (TLEs), including halos, elves and blue jets.
Scientists theorize that these phenomena help rebalance the Earth's electrical field after lightning removes a large amount of positive charge from a thunderstorm.
A space shuttle mission in 1989 helped to confirm the existence of sprites. Before the space flight, sprites were reported by pilots but discounted by many scientists until they were first photographed by accident in July 1989, NASA said.
Sprites are so large that they have been photographed by astronauts on the International Space Station, which orbits the Earth around 250 miles above the planet’s surface.
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News / Severe Weather
A fleeting flash above the storm: What is a lightning sprite?
They look like electric jellyfish and were only recently discovered. If you're in the right place at the right time, you may be able to see a lightning 'sprite.'
By Jesse Ferrell, AccuWeather meteorologist
Published Oct 15, 2026 9:17 AM EDT | Updated Oct 15, 2026 9:17 AM EDT
Photographer Florian Riou captured rare red sprites flashing above a thunderstorm from the village of Calvi, France, on Sept. 16. A sprite is a large discharge of electricity high in the atmosphere.
Blink, and you'll miss it. This photograph showcases a rare atmospheric phenomenon. A red flash, hundreds of miles high above a thunderstorm.
It is visible for less than a tenth of a second and looks like an electric jellyfish. This picture was captured by Florian Riou on Oct. 8, taken from the French island of Corsica looking toward Naples, Italy.
What is a lightning sprite?
The phenomenon is called a "sprite" and is a large discharge of electricity high in the atmosphere, miles above a severe thunderstorm, that can extend almost to the edge of space, which is considered to be around 62 miles (100 km) above the Earth's surface. Sprites are triggered by lightning in a storm.
Where can I see sprites?
Sprites have been observed above every continent except Antarctica, but occur most frequently in the central United States, over severe thunderstorms in Tornado Alley. They have even been documented over powerful tropical systems, such as Hurricane Matthew in 2016, CNET said.
How to photograph a sprite
Careful planning and a bit of luck are needed for any hopes of capturing the elusive lightning bolt on camera.
People hoping to photograph the phenomenon for themselves will need to wait for a night when a strong thunderstorm is off in the distance, and visibility is good.
Sprites last only 10-100 milliseconds, which is why they are easy to miss despite being dozens of miles long. You have to be at the right distance from the storm and focused miles above the cloud tops, with very specific camera settings. A long exposure or low-light shot from a DSLR or similar camera is best.
Why are sprites red?
The deep red color is believed to result from lightning interacting with nitrogen in the atmosphere, according to the University of Washington. The phenomenon may also be accompanied by other Transient Luminous Events (TLEs), including halos, elves and blue jets.
Scientists theorize that these phenomena help rebalance the Earth's electrical field after lightning removes a large amount of positive charge from a thunderstorm.
A space shuttle mission in 1989 helped to confirm the existence of sprites. Before the space flight, sprites were reported by pilots but discounted by many scientists until they were first photographed by accident in July 1989, NASA said.
Sprites are so large that they have been photographed by astronauts on the International Space Station, which orbits the Earth around 250 miles above the planet’s surface.
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