Photo: Mysterious "Sprites" Light Shows Captured on Film

Email to a Friend << Back to Full Story


Sprites, brief flashes of light that occur during intense thunderstorms, appear to the human eye as long streamers of light, as seen above. But new digital images show these strands are only an illusion—sprites are actually made up of small, fast-moving balls of light.

In their fleeting lifespan, sprites burn five times brighter than Venus and can reach 37 miles (60 kilometers) in height.

Photograph courtesy H. C. Stenbaek-Nielsen, University of Alaska Fairbanks

MOST VIEWED NEWS

PICTURES: 2012 Doomsday Myths Debunked

2012: Six End-of-the-World Myths Debunked

APOCALYPSE PICTURES: 10 Failed Doomsday Prophecies
NEWS FEEDS    After installing a news reader, click on this icon to download National Geographic News's XML/RSS feed. After installing a news reader, click on this icon to download National Geographic News's XML/RSS feed.

Get our news delivered directly to your desktop—free.
How to Use XML or RSS

ADVERTISEMENT

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC'S PHOTO OF THE DAY

Today's National Geographic Photo of the Day

• Today's Photo

• Download as Wallpaper

50 Drives of a Lifetime

National Geographic Traveler has scoured the globe for the world's most beautiful, interesting, and off-beat road trips. Dive in to get drive directions, quizzes, photos, and more.