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Photographer Captures Rare Upper-Atmosphere Elve in Italy

11/26/2025

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Summary

Story summary

On November 17, 2025, Valter Binotto photographed an elve over Possagno, northern Italy, capturing a disk-shaped flash that lasts less than a thousandth of a second.
An elve is a fleeting upper-atmosphere flash that can expand up to 300 miles when a lightning pulse reaches the ionosphere.
Binotto captured the image while attempting to photograph sprites.
He previously photographed a similar elve on March 23, 2023.

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Story summary

On November 17, 2025, Valter Binotto photographed an elve over Possagno, northern Italy, capturing a disk-shaped flash that lasts less than a thousandth of a second.
An elve is a fleeting upper-atmosphere flash that can expand up to 300 miles when a lightning pulse reaches the ionosphere.
Binotto captured the image while attempting to photograph sprites.
He previously photographed a similar elve on March 23, 2023.