SPRITE SPECTRA - N-2 1-PG BAND IDENTIFICATION

Imagery and spectra of high altitude luminous flashes, otherwise known as sprites, occurring in the stratosphere/mesosphere above electrically active cumulonimbus clouds were acquired on July 16, 1995 from an observation site near Ft. Collins, Colorado. The spectra, resolved from similar to 4500-8000 Angstrom included four spectral features in the 6000-7600 Angstrom region which have been identified as N-2 1PG system with Delta nu=2,3, and 4 from the nu=2,4,5,6 vibrational levels of the B-3 pi(g) state. The spectra were lacking in other features such as the N-2(+) Meinel or the N-2(+) ist neg system indicating that the electron energy causing the excitation is quite low.