Red sprites light up sky over Corsica, photographed from 500-700 km away

Streaks of red light suddenly appeared in the dark night sky, making the whole sky look like a scene from a science fiction film. The startling sight was seen in France, where pictures were taken of red lightning-like streaks over the island of Corsica. The rare natural phenomenon is known as "red sprites". The pictures have drawn wide discussion on social media.

French photographer Florian Rieu captured the unusual sight on camera on September 16, 2026, from the Montemajor area of Corsica. The place where the streaks of light formed was about 500 to 700 km from the photographer. The streaks had formed above the Barcelona area of Spain, in stormy weather. He succeeded in photographing an event happening so far away. The red light spread across the sky resembled the shape of a giant jellyfish.

So what exactly are red sprites? They are a rare lightning-related phenomenon in the upper layer of the atmosphere. Ordinary lightning flashes from the clouds towards the ground, but red sprites form in the upper part of powerful storm clouds. The phenomenon usually occurs at a height of 50 to 90 km above the Earth's surface.

The strong electric field that forms during a storm excites nitrogen molecules present in the atmosphere. This produces the red light. The streaks are visible for only a few milliseconds, which makes them very difficult to see with the naked eye. They can be photographed only with the right weather, clear skies and a sensitive camera.

Seeing the strange streaks of light in the sky, many people were reminded of an alien attack or a science fiction film. But the phenomenon has nothing to do with aliens. It is a natural process that takes place in the Earth's atmosphere.

The first reliable image of red sprites was taken in 1989. Since then scientists around the world have been studying the phenomenon. Such observations are used to understand the process of lightning in the atmosphere, the intensity of storms and changes in the Earth's upper atmosphere. The picture taken in France is therefore considered important for scientific study, in addition to showing a marvel of nature.