For nearly a decade, Valter Binotto has patiently scanned the night sky, driven by a fascination with the ephemeral wonders hidden above our world. His dedication recently culminated in a breathtaking capture: a colossal, 230-kilometer-wide ring of light shimmering over his Italian hometown of Possagno.
These aren't ordinary lights. They are “sprites” and “elves” – transient luminous events born from the fury of distant thunderstorms. Elves, in particular, manifest as enormous, doughnut-shaped rings, a fleeting spectacle in the upper atmosphere.
These high-altitude displays occur roughly 90 to 100 kilometers above Earth, directly above powerful lightning strikes. They are incredibly difficult to witness, requiring precise timing, clear skies, and a keen eye – or, in Binotto’s case, a specialized camera and unwavering persistence.
Binotto first captured an image of this phenomenon in March 2023, focusing on a storm hundreds of kilometers away. But his recent observations have surpassed even that initial success, yielding images that may be unprecedented.
Last month, he documented not one, but two more of these elusive events. Most remarkably, one photograph captured both an ELVE and a sprite within the same frame – a combination he believes has never been recorded before.
The latest images originated from a thunderstorm raging over the Adriatic Sea, 380 kilometers from Possagno. Binotto described the moment he saw the image appear on his display as “overwhelming,” a feeling of disbelief at witnessing something truly unique.
The experience was profoundly emotional, a testament to the power of witnessing a phenomenon previously unseen. He felt he was observing a secret of the atmosphere, revealed only through dedication and a little luck.
While these atmospheric displays captivated observers, another recent celestial event sparked a different kind of speculation. A glowing spiral orb was spotted across the UK, initially fueling excitement among those seeking evidence of extraterrestrial life.
However, the mystery was quickly solved, revealing a far more terrestrial origin. The orb wasn’t a sign from another world, but rather the lingering trace of rocket fuel from a recent space launch.
The cloud-like spiral formed as leftover fuel, released by a rocket during ascent, instantly froze at high altitude. Light reflecting off this frozen pattern created the mesmerizing glow visible from Earth, a beautiful byproduct of human exploration.
Both events – the ethereal elves and sprites, and the glowing rocket fuel – serve as potent reminders of the dynamic and often surprising forces at play in the world above us, visible to those who take the time to look.
