Imagery and spectra of high altitude luminous flashes, otherwise known as spirtes, 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 ~4500--8000 ¿ included four spectral features in the 6000--7600 ¿ region which have been identified as N2 1 PG system with Δv=2,3, and 4 from the v=2,4,5,6 vibrational levels of the B3&pgr;g state. The spectra were lacking in other features such as the N+2 Meinel or the N+2 lst neg system indicating that the electron energy causing the excitation is quite low. ¿ American Geophysical Union 1995.