The key facts

  • Photographer Florian Riu captured red sprites on September 16 above the village of Montmajour in France
  • Sprites are short-lived electrical discharges at an altitude of 40–100 km, lasting milliseconds
  • The photographer planned and calculated the shoot in advance

A rare shot over Montmajour

Footage of an unusual natural phenomenon captured in France has spread widely online: the night sky is briefly lit up by red flashes, giving the landscape a look reminiscent of scenes from a science fiction film. This was reported by Kun.uz.

What are sprites

Sprites are short-lived electrical discharges that occur in the upper layers of the atmosphere during thunderstorms, at an altitude of roughly 40–100 kilometers. The phenomenon usually lasts only a few milliseconds: the discharge flashes and immediately fades, which makes it extremely difficult to see with the naked eye. Sometimes, however, it can be captured with a camera.

How it was captured

Photographer Florian Riu captured the phenomenon on September 16 above the mountain village of Montmajour in France. According to him, he calculated the shooting process in advance and planned it carefully — and as a result managed to record with his camera the red flashes, visible for only an instant. In the video, the sprites resemble jellyfish that appear in the air and vanish in a moment.