Red sprites over the Andes

Red sprites are large-scale electrical discharges – high above thunderstorm clouds – flickering in the night. They can be tens of miles high, but are very brief, lasting only a few tens of milliseconds. Photographer Yuri Beletsky captured these red sprites in early January 2020. Yuri described his image:

Red sprites over the Andes … The weather in the mountains [around now] is dominated by intense thunderstorms which develop over the Argentinean side. Here in Chile we have a perfect viewing spot from where we can safely watch the spectacle :) I captured this image during one of such storms developing across the mountains. On the crystal clear sky, you can see gorgeous red sprites and the blueish glow from the distant lightings, although the storm itself was not visible for us. I hope you will enjoy the view.

What an amazing image! Thank you, Yuri!

Bottom line: Photographer Yuri Beletsky captured red sprites flashing over the Chilean Andes Mountains in South America.

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