A rare red ring has appeared over Possagno, a small town in the Italian Alps, for the second time in three years. The phenomenon, known as an “emission of light and very low-frequency perturbations due to electromagnetic pulse sources” or ELVEs, occurs during intense thunderstorms.
Photographer Valter Binotto captured the latest image on November 17, which is slightly fainter than a similar ring seen two and a half years ago. The red rings are caused by lightning-related events that occur when powerful lightning bolts collide with the ionosphere in space, exciting nitrogen molecules and producing red light.
ELVEs are rare because they flash in the sky for only one thousandth of a second, making them difficult to spot without special equipment or luck. Binotto’s ability to capture both photos from the same location is likely due to his skill and experience photographing these events.
The latest ELVE was triggered by a thunderstorm near Vernazza, 185 miles away from Possagno, while the 2023 ring was caused by a storm near Ancona, 174 miles southeast of the town. These rare optical phenomena are linked to specific types of lightning strikes and can produce secondary effects like X-rays and relativistic electrons.
Scientists study ELVEs as a proxy for understanding powerful cosmic rays, but it’s unclear if Binotto’s photos produced these effects.
Source: https://www.livescience.com/planet-earth/weather/bizarre-ufo-like-halo-of-red-light-appears-over-small-italian-town-for-the-second-time-in-3-years