"What Is That?" Massive Red Light Flashes... 'One-Thousandth of a Second' Captured [Video]

Captured Over Shannan, Tibet, China
Appears for Only One-Thousandth of a Second During Thunderstorms
Extremely Brief Appearance Makes It Difficult to Capture on Camera

A natural phenomenon in which a massive red light spreads across the night sky was captured over Tibet, China, drawing attention. On June 11, local media including CCTV reported that a red current illuminating the pitch-black night sky was observed above Shannan in Tibet, China, on June 1.

This phenomenon is called a "red sprite," a name inspired by its fantastical appearance, as if it could only exist in imagination, and meaning a red fairy or goblin. Red sprites are luminous phenomena that occur at altitudes between 50 and 90 km above the ground.

Red Sprite is a luminous phenomenon occurring in the mesosphere at altitudes between 50 and 90 km. Instagram @shuchang_dong

Red sprites appear as large, red shapes in the upper atmosphere, created by interactions with surrounding nitrogen. This phenomenon is known to last for only about one-thousandth of a second during thunderstorms, making it extremely difficult to witness with the naked eye.

Videos posted on social networking services (SNS) show the phenomenon resembling a fireworks display launched from the ground. Just before it appears, the surroundings brighten, and then, for a very brief moment, a wave of red light seems to burst upward from below.

The red sprite phenomenon, once considered a fantasy decades ago, was proven to exist when it was first successfully photographed in 1989. Instagram @shuchang_dong

Because the appearance time is extremely short and it can only be observed on clear, cloudless nights, it is known to be very difficult to capture even with high-end camera equipment. Photographer Dong Shuchang, who filmed this video, said, "I shot throughout the night using a lens with a large aperture at an altitude of 5,000 meters," and added, "This is the second time I have witnessed a red sprite in the same region since May 2022." Dong Shuchang explained that it took three years to observe the phenomenon again and announced plans to provide the video footage as research material for the relevant academic community.

Meanwhile, the red sprite phenomenon, once considered a fantasy decades ago, was proven to exist when it was first successfully photographed in 1989. Recently, as camera performance has improved, scientists and photographers have increasingly succeeded in capturing the phenomenon.