View More + Copyright © HT Digital Streams Limited All Rights Reserved. Italian skies glow red again — UFO in sight? Photographer spots rare halo for second time in 3 years The glowing ring, photographed over Possagno by nature photographer Valter Binotto, looks almost identical to another mysterious red circle which he had captured in March 2023, as per reports Updated28 Nov 2025, 03:28 PM IST UFO(Pixabay/kalhh) A bright halo of red light has been spotted floating above a small Italian town located in the foothills of the Alps — a rare atmospheric phenomenon that flashes far too quickly for the human eye to see. This is the second time in three years that such a mysterious appearance has been spotted in the skies. The glowing ring, photographed over Possagno by nature photographer Valter Binotto, looks almost identical to another mysterious red circle which he had captured in March 2023, as per reports. But despite their otherworldly appearance, these lights aren’t UFOs — they’re ELVEs – “emission of light and very low-frequency perturbations due to electromagnetic pulse sources” – a rare phenomenon triggered by lightning, mentioned a report by Spaceweather. ELVEs are very elusive because they last just one-thousandth of a second — which is around 100 times faster than a blink. People rarely notice ELVEs because they are almost impossible to see with the naked eye. Spotting them requires either extraordinary luck or specialised camera equipment. When did the ELVE appear? The latest red halo appeared on 17 November around 10:45 pm (local time) and was slightly dimmer than the 2023 event, Spaceweather reported. ELVEs form when an exceptionally powerful lightning bolt sends an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) hurtling upward into the ionosphere. There, the EMP excites nitrogen molecules, causing them to flash red — similar to how auroras glow, though those are caused by oxygen. "I didn't capture any sprites, but fortunately, I managed to capture this Elve!" Binotto told another outlet, Space.com in an email. He used a Sony A7S with a 20 mm f/1.8 lens at ISO 51,200. The photo is a frame taken from a video recorded at 25 fps. How did the photographer notice the ELVE? "The ELVE was generated by a powerful negative lightning strike in a storm in Vernazza about 300 km south of me," Binotto told Spaceweather.com. One bolt reached an extraordinary -303 kilo-ampères (the minus sign indicates the lightning's polarity), producing an intense electromagnetic pulse (EMP) that lit up the ionosphere. A usual streak of lightning typically carries just 10 to 30 kilo-ampères of current. This elve hovered about 100 miles (160 km) above Earth's surface and spanned roughly 200 miles (320 km) in diameter, according to Spaceweather.com. Although Possagno has now become the backdrop for two of these rare events, the town itself has no unique conditions that cause the phenomenon. ELVEs appear high in the atmosphere and can be photographed from hundreds of miles away. Binotto’s latest image was created by a thunderstorm near Vernazza, roughly 185 miles (300 km) south of Possagno. The 2023 ELVE came from a storm near Ancona, about 174 miles (280 km) away. Stay updated with the latest Trending , India , World and US news. Business News News Trends Italian skies glow red again — UFO in sight? Photographer spots rare halo for second time in 3 years More Story Url has been added to your clipboard Download App Download the Mint app and read premium stories Trending Stories Nifty All Time High White House Shooter Saumya Singh Rathore PM Modi Mint Money Livemint Hindi Bank Holidays in Gujarat Bank Holidays in Delhi Bank Holidays in September Income Tax Calculator 2025 Bank Holidays in Jammu And Kashmir Gold Rate in Bangalore Gold Rate in Chennai Gold Rate in Hyderabad Gold Rate in Mumbai Business Radio — FAB Play Mint Money Loan Credit Card Check Credit Score Stocks to Buy Gold Rate India Best rated Monitors Apple iPhone 17 Pro Price in India Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max Mahindra BE 6e Mahindra XEV 9e MG Hector Nissan Magnite Renault triber Mahindra Bolero Neo Bihar Chunav iPhone 17 Price in India Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max Price in India 17 pro max launch today iPhone 17 Air Price skoda vision o Today Stock Recommendation Amazon Great India Festival Apple Products Amazon Sale Washing machine Sale Electronics Sale AC Sale Popular Stocks JSW INFRASTRUCTURE share price R R KABEL share price CONCORD BIOTECH share price IDBI Bank share price Yes Bank share price Adani Power share price HUL share price Indian Oil share price Vedanta share price Jio Financial Services share price Paytm share price Punjab National Bank share price Canara Bank share price Adani Green Energy share price Indian Railway Finance Corporation share price Suzlon Energy share price IREDA share price Vodafone Idea share price Orient Technologies share price Premier Energies share price Bajaj Housing Finance Share Price Garuda Construction And Engineer share price Hyundai Motor India share price Nifty 50 companies ADANI ENTERPRISES share price ADANI PORTS share price APOLLO HOSPITALS share price ASIAN PAINTS share price AXIS BANK share price BAJAJ AUTO share price BAJAJ FINANCE share price BAJAJ FINSERVE share price BPCL share price BHARTI AIRTEL share price BRITANNIA share price CIPLA share price COAL INDIA share price DIVIS LABORATORIES share price DR REDDYS LABORATORIES share price EICHER MOTORS share price GRASIM INDUSTRIES share price HCL TECHNOLOGIES share price HDFC BANK share price HDFC LIFE share price HERO MOTOCORP share price HINDALCO INDUSTRIES share price HINDUSTAN UNILEVER share price ICICI BANK share price ITC share price INDUSIND BANK share price INFOSYS share price JSW STEEL share price KOTAK BANK share price LARSEN & TOURBO share price MAHINDRA & MAHINDRA share price MARUTI SUZUKI share price NTPC share price NESTLE INDIA share price ONGC share price POWER GRID share price RELIANCE INDUSTRIES share price SBI LIFE share price SBI share price SUN PHARMA share price TCS share price TATA MOTORS share price TATA STEEL share price TATA CONSUMER share price TECH MAHINDRA share price TITAN share price UPL share price ULTRATECH CEMENT share price WIPRO share price Latest Stories Source: https://www.livemint.com/news/trends/italian-skies-glow-red-again-ufo-in-sight-elves-photographer-spots-rare-halo-for-second-time-in-3-years-11764320216408.html