Washington, D.C. – This Halloween season, NOAA reminds skywatchers that “sprites” and “elves” aren’t just folklore. These vibrant phenomena, called transient luminous events (TLEs), flash above thunderstorms in Earth’s upper atmosphere. They’re real and can even resemble glowing jellyfish or mysterious columns of light.
Sprites can extend up to 60 miles from a thunderstorm’s top. Their red, carrot-like shapes can make them look eerie, with tendrils that flash quickly. According to NOAA, these events occur in milliseconds, fueled by intense thunderstorm electrical activity.
Elves are even larger and stranger. Rapidly expanding disk-shaped glows, they can span up to 300 miles across the ionosphere, lasting only a thousandth of a second. NOAA explains that blue jets, another TLE type, shoot upward from storms at speeds faster than lightning, vanishing quickly as they reach altitudes of 25-35 miles.
Scientists say these TLEs shed light on the energy exchanges in Earth’s atmosphere. “Sprites and elves remind us of the hidden forces in nature,” NOAA shared, encouraging the public to learn more about these dazzling events through their educational resources. For skywatchers, these flashes may be brief but add a touch of mystery to stormy skies.
