In what may be the first photograph of its kind, photographer Dan Zafra has captured an extraordinary image showing rare red lightning sprites appearing in front of the Milky Way's galactic core in the Southern Hemisphere. The remarkable shot, taken on October 11th while photographing under New Zealand's dark skies, also features the aurora australis glowing faintly in the bottom left corner, creating a truly once-in-a-lifetime celestial composition.
Zafra, who runs the photography website Capture the Atlas, was positioned at Clay Cliffs on New Zealand's South Island when the heavens aligned for this unprecedented capture. "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," Zafra explained. "At first, they looked like normal lightning, but after a few test shots, I realized my camera was capturing red sprites."
Red sprites represent one of nature's most elusive and least understood phenomena. These brief, large-scale electrical discharges occur high above thunderstorms at altitudes reaching up to 90 kilometers (56 miles). "They're almost impossible to see with the naked eye and last just a few milliseconds," Zafra noted. "Even storm chasers who spend their lives chasing lightning in places like Oklahoma or Texas can go years without witnessing one."
The photographer described his experience as truly remarkable, made even more magical by the Milky Way's galactic core aligning perfectly behind the sprites. "It was one of those moments when you know you're witnessing something you'll probably never see again," he added. The timing was extraordinary, as the fleeting weather event coincided with the timeless cosmic structure in a single frame.
For his equipment setup, Zafra used a Sony a7 III camera paired with a Sony GM 24mm f/1.4 lens. The final image represents a composite blend of two different exposures: a two-minute exposure for the foreground and a 10-second exposure for the sky. This technique allowed him to capture both the detailed landscape and the brief atmospheric phenomenon with optimal clarity.
Beyond the still photograph, Zafra also created a time-lapse video that reveals the sprites flashing in real time. "Since they last only a fraction of a second, the video captures just how sudden and powerful they are," he explained. "Seeing them move across the sky was mesmerizing. The video adds another layer of perspective, revealing how these short-lived bursts of energy connect Earth's atmosphere with space in the blink of an eye."
The scientific significance of red sprites cannot be overstated, as they remain among the rarest natural light phenomena on Earth. First recorded on camera in 1989, only a handful of photographers worldwide have managed to capture them in high detail. These extraordinary events occur above powerful thunderstorms when positive lightning discharges reach the ionosphere, requiring a perfect combination of conditions, patience, and considerable luck to photograph.
According to Zafra's research, this appears to be the first time red sprites have ever been documented together with the Southern Hemisphere Milky Way. The image also captures the faint glow of the aurora australis, adding yet another rare element to an already exceptional photograph. "It shows how fleeting weather events and timeless cosmic structures can align in the same frame," Zafra reflected. "It's moments like these that remind me why I spend so many nights under the stars."
This latest achievement adds to Zafra's growing reputation for capturing extraordinary celestial events. Earlier this year, his work was featured for a sublime photograph of a lunar eclipse combined with aurora lights, demonstrating his continued dedication to documenting rare astronomical phenomena. His photography continues to inspire and educate viewers about the hidden wonders occurring in our planet's upper atmosphere and beyond.
