A photographer recently captured a breathtaking and rare ‘elve’—an eerie red halo—hovering over the Italian Alps. This fleeting phenomenon appeared for just a split second high above a thunderstorm, making it a true gem for skywatchers and science lovers alike.
What is an ‘Elve’?
Elves, short for Emission of Light and Very Low Frequency perturbations due to Electromagnetic Pulse Sources, are expansive, disk-shaped flashes of light that occur in the upper atmosphere during intense thunderstorms. They are so quick—lasting less than a millisecond—that most people never even know they happened. Talk about being camera shy!
An Unforgettable Moment
The photographer’s patience truly paid off. Capturing an elve is like spotting a unicorn in the sky. These events are not only rare but also almost impossible to predict. So, next time there’s a thunderstorm in the Alps, maybe keep your camera ready—just in case you get lucky too!
Mother Nature sure knows how to put on a show. Maybe it’s her way of reminding us to look up from our phones once in a while. After all, you never know when the sky might decide to throw a glowing red ring party!