{"id":88189,"date":"2025-10-19T13:39:09","date_gmt":"2025-10-19T13:39:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/88189\/"},"modified":"2025-10-19T13:39:09","modified_gmt":"2025-10-19T13:39:09","slug":"photographers-once-in-a-lifetime-shot-of-lightning-sprites-and-the-milky-way","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/88189\/","title":{"rendered":"Photographer\u2019s Once-in-a-Lifetime Shot of Lightning Sprites and the Milky Way"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"A<\/a>Dan Zafra (Capture the Atlas) caught elusive red lightning sprites fizzing in front of the galactic core of the Milky Way while the aurora australis glows in the bottom left corner. <\/p>\n

While out photographing the dark skies of New Zealand last weekend, the heavens aligned for Dan Zafra as he captured lightning sprites appearing in front of the galactic core of the Milky Way. <\/p>\n

Zafra, known for his website Capture the Atlas<\/a>, says it might be the first time ever a rare and elusive lightning sprite has been photographed with the Southern Hemisphere Milky Way Galaxy in the same frame. <\/p>\n

\u201cOn the night of October 11, I was shooting under perfectly clear skies when I began to notice faint flashes on the horizon from a distant thunderstorm over the Southern Alps,\u201d Zafra tells PetaPixel. <\/p>\n

\u201cAt first, they looked like normal lightning, but after a few test shots, I realized my camera was capturing red sprites.\u201d <\/p>\n

Red sprites, Zafra explains, are brief, large-scale electrical discharges that occur high above thunderstorms, reaching altitudes of up to 90 kilometers [56 miles].<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re almost impossible to see with the naked eye and last just a few milliseconds,\u201d he continues. \u201cEven storm chasers who spend their lives chasing lightning in places like Oklahoma or Texas can go years without witnessing one.\u201d <\/p>\n

\"Red<\/a>\u00a9 Dan Zafra (Capture the Atlas) \"A<\/a>\u00a9 Dan Zafra (Capture the Atlas) <\/p>\n

Zafra calls his experience \u201ctruly remarkable,\u201d and it was made even more magical by the Milky Way\u2019s galactic core lining up perfectly behind the sprites. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt was one of those moments when you know you\u2019re witnessing something you\u2019ll probably never see again,\u201d he adds. <\/p>\n

Zafra was situated on the Clay Cliffs on the South Island of New Zealand when he took the photos. He used a Sony a7 III<\/a>, a Sony GM 24mm f\/1.4<\/a> to capture the shot. The foreground is a two-minute exposure, which has been blended with the 10-second sky exposure. <\/p>\n

\u201cI also created a timelapse video that shows these sprites flashing in real time. Since they last only a fraction of a second, the video captures just how sudden and powerful they are,\u201d says Zafra. <\/p>\n

Red sprites are among the rarest and least-understood natural light phenomena. They were first recorded on camera in 1989, and only a few photographers<\/a> around the world have captured them in high detail. <\/p>\n

They occur above powerful thunderstorms when positive lightning discharges reach the ionosphere. Capturing them requires a mix of perfect conditions, patience, and a lot of luck.<\/p>\n

\u201cSeeing them move across the sky was mesmerizing,\u201d adds Zafra. \u201cThe video adds another layer of perspective, revealing how these short-lived bursts of energy connect Earth\u2019s atmosphere with space in the blink of an eye.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>\u00a9 Dan Zafra (Capture the Atlas) \"A<\/a>\u00a9 Dan Zafra (Capture the Atlas) <\/p>\n

Zafra says that to the best of his knowledge, this is the first time red sprites have ever been documented together with the Southern Hemisphere Milky Way. The aurora australis can also be seen as a faint glow. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt shows how fleeting weather events and timeless cosmic structures can align in the same frame,\u201d Zafra adds. \u201cIt\u2019s moments like these that remind me why I spend so many nights under the stars.\u201d <\/p>\n

PetaPixel has featured Zafra\u2019s nights beneath the stars before: earlier this year, he captured a sublime shot of the lunar eclipse together with the aurora lights.<\/a> <\/p>\n

More of Dan Zafra\u2019s photography is available on Capture the Atlas\u2018 website<\/a>, Facebook<\/a>, and Instagram<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Image credits: All photos by Dan Zafra <\/p>\n