Previous blog entry on sprites, blue jets and elves
Observations of streamer formation in sprites
Optical imaging using a 10,000 frames per second high speed camerashows (Geophysical Research Lett. Vol.34 (2007)) that sprites are actually clusters of small, decameter-sized (10-100 m, 30-300 ft) balls of ionization that move downward, followed a few milliseconds later by a separate set of upward moving balls of ionization, and traveling up to ten percent of the speed of light.
(Link no longer found on Wikipedia)
