Images: Rare Red Sprite Lightning Revealed in Stunning Photos

[Are_grits_groceries]

The elusive red lightning called sprites last less than a second. They form above the tops of thunderclouds, when lightning bolts trigger a burst of red light in electrically charged particles.


Because the storms that birth sprites also hide them from view, few sprites are seen from the ground. To better understand the phenomenon, scientists are hunting red sprites from the air.


University of Alaska, Fairbanks, graduate student Jason Ahrns captured stunning images of red sprites during several flights over the Midwest during the 2013 summer aboard the National Center for Atmospheric Research’s Gulfstream V research plane.

http://www.livescience.com/39045-red-sprites-lightning-photo-gallery.html

Never heard of it or seen it.
Still looking for The Green Flash.

[hack89]

1. I've seen the Green Flash four times

which merely means I spent a lot of time at sea.

[Jenoch]

2. If someone us going to fly around

attempting to photograph lightning, the Gulfstream V is the way to go.

[davekriss]

3. I've seen the green flash, too

While sitting at "the dock" in Key West 35 years ago, long before it became the overbuilt tourist haven it is today.

[bettyellen]

4. Cool! I saw ball lightening hit the ground once. That was freaky.