As of today, peak season now, through ~June 30. Earth Exhibit tracks the live conditions and flags it the moment it is on.
Red sprites are transient luminous events (TLEs): short-lived red optical flashes in the mesosphere produced above strong thunderstorms.
In the U.S. they are most commonly observed over the central Great Plains during the regional thunderstorm season when large mesoscale convective systems and positive cloud-to-ground lightning are most frequent.
Where to see it
A taste of where to see it. The full map, exact coordinates and the best timing for each spot live in the app.
| Viewing spots |
|---|
| McDonald Observatory - Frank N. Bash Visitors Center (Mount Locke, TX) |
| Black Mesa State Park - Lake Carl Etling (Kenton, OK) |
| + 1 more spot, with exact coordinates and timing, in the app → |
This is the short version
This page shows a taste. The app has the full list of where to see this, the exact timing, and live conditions for 1,000+ natural phenomena worldwide, so you know the moment one is genuinely worth the trip.