Home / Backyard Astronomy Gallery / Terrestrial / Sprites - Other TLEs 44
Post date / 2020 / September
- 20110202 043640 Sebring FL
My first capture of an elve. Elves are the result of EMPs (electromagnetic pulse) produced by powerful lightning. When the EMP blast strikes the ionosphere it ionized a very large region (~500km) in turn causing it to glow red. The donut shape of elves is due to the propagation characteristics of the EMP blast. Elves are the most common TLE's, but because they are so short lived, less than 1ms, it is not easy to detect them with standard CCTV equipment. Telescope: - Camera: Watec 902H with 16mm 1:1.4 lens. Filtration used: None - 20110202 051551 Sebring FL
A very bright sprite with halo over the Golf of Mexico. Telescope: - Camera: Watec 902H with 16mm 1:1.4 lens. Filtration used: None - M20091014 223422
First night using the low light camera. This is an image of a thunderstorm cloud top about 70 miles to the east of my location. Towards the right of the cloud can be seen a small "jet" like protrusion. This is most likely a blue starter, which is a failed blue jet. It's also possible that this is a blue jet but since it's so far away most of the blue light has been filtered out by the atmosphere. In either case these jets are very rare! Telescope: - Camera: Watec 902H with 16mm 1:1.4 lens. Filtration used: None - M20091016 033902
First image of a sprite using my low light setup. This is a carrot sprite. This storm was about 250 miles to the northeast over the Atlantic. This sprite generated an early-fast ionospheric disturbance which I picked up with my SID receiver. Telescope: - Camera: Watec 902H with 16mm 1:1.4 lens. Filtration used: None - M20091016 035005 A
Small sprite with halo. This storm was about 250 miles to the northeast over the Atlantic. This sprite generated an early-fast ionospheric disturbance which I picked up with my SID receiver. Telescope: - Camera: Watec 902H with 16mm 1:1.4 lens. Filtration used: None - M20091016 035005 B
Another sprite from the same storm. This storm was about 250 miles to the northeast over the Atlantic. This sprite generated an early-fast ionospheric disturbance which I picked up with my SID receiver. Telescope: - Camera: Watec 902H with 16mm 1:1.4 lens. Filtration used: None - M20091016 213635
Small sprite half out of the field of view. This storm was about 150 miles to the east over the Atlantic. Telescope: - Camera: Watec 902H with 16mm 1:1.4 lens. Filtration used: None - M20091016 215825
Nice angle sprite with tendrils visible as well as a bright halo. This storm was about 150 miles to the east over the Atlantic. Telescope: - Camera: Watec 902H with 16mm 1:1.4 lens. Filtration used: None - M20091026 031319
The storm that caused this sprite was only about 90 miles away and this is why the sprite is cut-off. The lightning which triggered this sprite is clearly visible on the horizon. As a matter of fact this sprite was slightly delayed from the main lightning flash. The previous frame was overexposed due to the main stroke flash. Telescope: - Camera: Watec 902H with 12mm 1:1.2 lens. Filtration used: None - M20091027 014916
Here is a very bright sprite from a storm near Cuba. Telescope: - Camera: Watec 902H with 12mm 1:1.2 lens. Filtration used: None - M20091105 071250
A large set of column sprites in a circular pattern. This one occurred about 140 miles away near the Bahamas. Telescope: - Camera: Watec 902H with 12mm 1:1.2 lens. Filtration used: None - M20091202 060022 Sebring FL
This is the first of nine sprites captured on Dec 02, 09 from a mesoscale convective system over the Gulf of Mexico. This is looking West/North-West and the storm was 360+ miles away. Telescope: - Camera: Watec 902H with 16mm 1:1.4 lens. Filtration used: None · - M20091202 060704 Sebring FL
Another sprite captured on Dec 02, 09 from the same mesoscale convective system over the Gulf of Mexico. This is looking West/North-West and the storm was 360+ miles away. Telescope: - Camera: Watec 902H with 16mm 1:1.4 lens. Filtration used: None · - M20091202 060943 Sebring FL
Another sprite captured on Dec 02, 09 from the same mesoscale convective system over the Gulf of Mexico. This is looking West/North-West and the storm was 360+ miles away. Telescope: - Camera: Watec 902H with 16mm 1:1.4 lens. Filtration used: None · Date/Time 2009:12:03 20:52:01 · Resolution 768 x 494 - M20091202 061045 Sebring FL
Here is my first jellyfish sprite (and halo) captured on Dec 02, 09 from the same mesoscale convective system over the Gulf of Mexico. This is looking West/North-West and the storm was 360+ miles away. Telescope: - Camera: Watec 902H with 16mm 1:1.4 lens. Filtration used: None · Date/Time 2009:12:03 20:52:52 · Resolution 768 x 494