Stunning footage of the rare red sprites is taking the internet by storm with its amazing, spectacular views. It displays the red sprites and rare green Ghost sprites above Tibet during thunderstorms. Scientists provide the scientific reasons behind nature's actions.
Footage of red sprites above thunderstorms in Tibet's Xizang has gone viral on social media. Chinese astrophotographer Dong Shuchang captured the footage in the early hours of May 26, 2026.
It clearly shows the planet's most elusive atmospheric phenomenon, leaving viewers mesmerised. In general, these glowing, spectacular red lights are a form of Transient Luminous Event (TLE), which produces brilliant flashes of light high above powerful thunderstorms, making them difficult to observe from the ground.
Dong Shuchang shared the video with the caption "In the early hours of May 26, 2026, I captured a spectacular display of red sprite lightning by the shores of Lake Puma Yumco in Shannan, Xizang, at an altitude of over 5,000 meters above sea level" on his official handle.
The footage creates a sense of surrealism among the audience. He also managed to take a picture of the rare Ghost sprites with the green glow. The footage clearly depicts the numerous lines erupting above the cloud top.
Appearing as crimson, jellyfish-like flashes stretching across the upper atmosphere, the sprites were visible for only a fraction of a second. Still, they were successfully captured. The scenario sparked the attention of scientists and skywatchers.
The reason behind the Red Sprites
Red sprites occur at altitudes of approximately 50 to 90 kilometres above Earth's surface, far higher than the altitudes of conventional lightning. They are triggered by powerful positive cloud-to-ground lightning strikes, which generate intense electric fields in the atmosphere above thunderstorms.
These fields excite nitrogen molecules, causing them to emit a distinctive red glow. Because the phenomenon is extremely brief and occurs above storm clouds, red sprites are difficult to observe and photograph.
Why Tibet?
Atmospheric conditions in Tibet are conducive to the formation of red sprites. The Tibetan Plateau sits at an average altitude of 4,500 metres. This high vantage point positions storm cloud tops much closer to the mesosphere.
Tibetan Plateau's high elevation, relatively thin atmosphere, low levels of light pollution, and expansive, unobstructed horizons provide ideal conditions for observing transient luminous events such as sprites. Strong convective storms that frequently develop over the plateau during warmer months further increase the likelihood of sprite formation.
