“Red sprites” (or leprechauns or red sylphs in French) are impressive transient light phenomena that occur in the upper atmosphere, above powerful, generally organized thunderstorms (MCS). They appear in the form of ephemeral reddish discharges, often in the shape of columns or branches, extending from 40 to more than 100km altitude.
These events are caused by extremely powerful lightning strikes, mainly positive lightning strikes, which create an intense electric field in the mesosphere. Their reddish tint comes from the excitation of nitrogen molecules present at high altitude. First filmed in 1989, red sprites are today a fascinating subject of study for scientists, because they help to better understand the complex interactions between the atmosphere and storms.
Classification, non-exhaustive, of leprechauns. This classification is constantly evolving.
- Jellyfish sprites, very large, can measure 50 km high and 50 km wide. Very bright and the tendrils are very developed
- Column Sprite — column sprite (C-sprite) — column-shaped sprite.
- Carrot Leprechaun — carrot sprite — columnar sprite with long tendrils.
- Angel Leprechaun — angel red sprite — these sprites have less developed wings and tendrils
The occurrence of leprechauns above storms seems much more frequent than enthusiasts may have thought in the 20th century, or even until the 2010s. If the evolution of photo equipment has simplified the capture of transient phenomena from the earth, immortalizing them remains a challenge and there are only a few dozen specialists in the world.
