Northern Italian town sees unusual red halo again as experts link it to powerful lightning event

People in the small town of Possagno in northern Italy were taken aback by the sight of a red halo-like ring hovering above their town on November 17. Interestingly, this is not the first time that such a phenomenon has been observed in this town.

According to Live Science, a similar red ring appeared in the sky in March 2023. A photographer named Valter Binotto captured the occurrence of this mysterious light on both occasions. This time around, the light appeared in the sky around 10:45 PM local time. The light was fainter this time around, but still clear enough for those in the city to view it.

What were these red rings?

As mysterious as this ring of light may have looked, it has been reasonably explained to be a natural phenomenon by scientists. According to Live Science, which quoted spaceweather.com, these rings are a rare phenomenon called "emission of light and very low-frequency perturbations due to electromagnetic pulse sources," or ELVEs.

They result from powerful lightning bolts giving off electromagnetic pulses towards space, which collide with the ionosphere, where the atmosphere is in an ionized state. These pulses excite nitrogen molecules there, which gives off red light. Usually, the ELVEs last for one-thousandth of a second and hence, are not visible to the naked eye.

Binotto informed that on this occasion, the bolt of lightning that caused the ELVEs to appear was around 303 kilo-amperes, making it 10 to 30 times more powerful than the average discharge during thunderstorms.

How was this ELVE captured?

The photographer, Valter Binotto, informed spaceweather.com, that he was actually hunting for photographs of sprites, which are electrical discharges that occur above storms, in the upper atmosphere. However, he ended up shooting an even rarer phenomenon.

“I didn't capture any sprites, but fortunately, I managed to capture this Elve!" Binotto said. As per space.com, the equipment he used was a Sony A7S with a 20 mm f/1.8 lens at ISO 51,200. The video from which the photo was taken was recorded at 25 frames per second.

According to Live Science, the reason this phenomenon has been captured in this small Italian town is not because of its location. Instead, it is purely due to the skill of the photographer who set out to picture the sky. It has allowed this city in the foothills of the Alps to gain some recognition.

FAQs

Which city of Italy witnessed the appearance of an ELVE on November 17?

Possagno, a small town in northern Italy with a population of just 2,200, was where the phenomenon was captured.

What is an ELVE?

It is the emission of light and very low-frequency perturbations due to electromagnetic pulse sources.

When were ELVEs first discovered?

This phenomenon was first observed and recognized by NASA in the 1990s.