Photographer Captures Rare 'ELVES' Lightning in Near-Impossible Snapshot

Valter Binotto, an Italian photographer renowned for his versatility in capturing both nature and architecture, has a particular fascination with the night sky and extreme weather. On November 17, he documented a highly unusual type of upper-atmospheric lightning known as an "ELVES."

The term ELVES is an acronym for "emission of light and very low frequency perturbations due to electromagnetic pulse sources." Essentially, ELVES are fleeting flashes of lightning occurring high above intense thunderstorms. Powerful lightning strikes can generate electromagnetic pulses (EMPs), which in turn trigger these brief bursts of energy lasting less than a millisecond. Typically, an ELVES event manifests as a red ring in the sky, spanning hundreds of kilometers.

Historically, sightings of ELVES were difficult to confirm due to their rarity and the extremely short duration of each event. The first verified detection came in 1990 when instruments aboard the Space Shuttle recorded the phenomenon. Detecting ELVES from space is more feasible since they occur in the ionosphere, far above most atmospheric layers, making ground-based observation exceptionally challenging.

Binotto managed to capture the ELVES by filming at 25 frames per second, which sacrifices image resolution but allows continuous recording during an entire stormessential when timing is unpredictable. His equipment included a Sony A7S camera with a 20mm f/1.8 lens and ISO set to 51,200. Interestingly, his initial goal was to photograph a related but distinct type of lightning called a sprite. Many lightning phenomena have imaginative names; ELVES are part of a family that includes Sprites, TROLLS (transient red optical luminous lineaments), and GHOSTS (greenish emissions from sprite tops).

This marks Binotto's second successful capture of an ELVES, the first occurring in 2023. Over the years, his work has significantly enhanced public understanding and visualization of some of the most striking weather events on the planet.

Author: Sophia Brooks