Rare 'sprite' phenomenon captured in dazzling series of images - PHOTO

These rare burst of light last for just a few milliseconds and take place more than 50 miles (80 km) above the ground during a thunderstorm.Now one photographer has managed to capture this elusive light after spending months on the road following storms in Vivaro, Italy.The incredible flashes of light are caused by huge electrical discharges of lightning in the sky, and they get their deep red hue from nitrogen molecules in the air.Marko Korosec, 32, managed to capture the rare pictures whilst standing in a corn field, over 200 miles (320km) away from the phenomenon.Mr Korosec, from Sezana in Slovenia, said: 'I've been trying to capture them for few months now.'I was very happy with the results, the details of the sprites came out pretty impressively.'Sprites are not easy to capture, and might occur just a few times in hours, but this storm system was very active this time.'It was very difficult to get these shots as they are so rare and you simply have to be quite lucky that the storm will produce them.'You might take hundreds of photos without capturing any of them,' added Mr Korosec, who works as a system administrator for highways in Slovenia.'Only the strongest and the most bright ones were visible to the naked eyes, acting like very short flash of light above the storm.'I was standing on the open corn fields, I found the spot to have good visuals away from city lights and trees.'Atmospheric sprites have been known for nearly a century, but researchers have been baffled as to how, and why, they form.In May, Penn State University researchers managed to model the elusive phenomenon, which forms above thunderstorms and appears as a 'jellyfish' shape in the sky.They say they believe that sprites form at plasma irregularities and may be useful in remote sensing of the lower ionosphere – an area that facilitates radio communication on Earth.(dailymail.co.uk)Bakudaily.Az