The best chance to see one of these brief, strange lights is in the middle of the night, when you are near a strong thunderstorm and far away from the light pollution of a city or town. The storm should be more than 100 miles (161 kilometers) away, but no more than 300 miles (482 kilometers) distant. Estimate the height of the storm clouds, then multiply that by eight to get the approximate altitude where the sprites and blue jets may appear. Sprites may appear as reddish, orange, white, or even greenish flashes; blue jets are even harder to see, but you are more likely to view them if the storm includes hail.