Update on TLE observations by Italian Meteor and TLE Network

News from Roberto Labanti on developement of TLEs observations in Italy:

"The end of 2008 was a lucky period for sprite captures in Italy and enlargement of the network of active observers, now all linked through the Italian Meteor and TLE Network internet forum.

In November, CIPH SOSO Idice got 4 events during night-time of 4/11 and 30/11. Diego Valeri/ITA.TOR. station near Rieti in Central Italy got its first two sprites in the evening of 26/11. In December two successful observations followed: Ferruccio Zanotti got a series of sprites on 11/12 and 14/12 from Olbia, Sardinia, and Nico Montigiani got his 3 events between 17/12 and 18/12, observed from near Florence.

Recently, for a good start of 2009, Ferruccio Zanotti caught three sprite events between 17h35m and 17h59m UT on February 10th, and other five events between 00h23m and 03h05m UT the same night (11 February), over a thunderstorm presumably over the northern Adriatic Sea and Veneto region - all from his station of Ferrara in northern Italy. The sprites were low on the horizon and probably quite distant from the recording station.

The images of February events are available here, on CIPH-SOSO blog, courtesy of Ferruccio Zanotti. The image here shows an event (circled) which occurred on 11 February, about 00:37:37 UT.

More events (6+1) were observed from Ferrera on 17 and 18 February and February 24th."