Photographer Wang Xin had to be extremely patient to capture this magnificent example of red sprite lightning in the Chongming District of Shanghai. Much like the ethereal, fairy-like sprites of folklore, red sprites are particularly difficult to see or photograph. Our judging panel commented that it is rare to see an image with this extent and number of sprites.
As multiple thunderstorms raged around Shanghai, Xin travelled to the Chongming District and adopted a trial-and-error approach by setting up the camera and waiting. After a few hours, a “faint red figure” flashed in Xin’s eyes and this remarkable image was captured. The elusive sprites only last a few milliseconds, so Xin used a four second exposure to achieve this photo.
Sprites occur due to electrical discharge, but unlike ordinary lightning, they occur well above cumulonimbus clouds, approximately 50 miles (80km) above the ground, in a layer of the atmosphere known as the mesosphere. Due to their fleeting nature, sprites are still not well understood, but they have been observed to occur after a strong, positive lightning bolt between the cloud and ground. The red colour comes from changes in the energy of the electrons of nitrogen atoms high in the atmosphere.
If you want to capture a sprite, you need to be far enough away from the storm that you can see its top. And like Xin you must also be patient, as it is estimated that only 1 in 200 lightning strikes are accompanied by sprites. Although that number could increase. As our atmosphere warms under climate change, the amount of moisture it can hold is increasing. That leads to stronger thunderstorms and more lightning and could mean sprites become more common in the future.
Photo location: Chongming District, Shanghai, China
Photographer based: China
Camera: Canon EOS 6D, Tamron SP 35mm F1.4