WATCH | Photographers capture 'once-in-a-lifetime' rare red lightning over New Zealand's skies

A rare phenomenon known as ‘red sprites’, a type of upper-atmosphere lightning, was photographed by three photographers in New Zealand, capturing one of nature's most elusive displays. Tom Rae from New Zealand, alongside Spanish photographers Dan Zafra and Jose Cantabrana, had originally ventured to the Omarama Clay Cliffs on October 11 to photograph the Milky Way. Little did they know, the night would become unforgettable. While expecting clear skies to capture their intended shots, the group was unexpectedly treated to an extraordinary light show. Cantabrana, noticing a storm building on the horizon, suggested the possibility of red sprites. Rae recalled how, as Cantabrana reviewed his camera files, they discovered that a red sprite had indeed been captured. The moment was met with surprise and excitement, with the photographers reacting in awe.

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Red sprites are a rare type of electrical discharge that occurs high above thunderstorms. Unlike typical lightning, which strikes downward, these luminous red bursts shoot upwards toward the ionosphere, forming striking, jellyfish-like shapes. First photographed by a University of Minnesota team in 1989, these flashes are so brief—lasting only a fraction of a second—that they are seldom visible to the naked eye. However, Rae was in the perfect spot at the right moment and saw one as it lit up the sky.

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For Rae, capturing this phenomenon was a surreal experience. As an award-winning photographer specialising in nightscapes, he described the brief yet intense red flash as ‘ethereal’, a fleeting moment of beauty that felt almost unreal. He emphasised that capturing such events requires not only technical skill but also an understanding of the science behind them.

Zafra, who had also never witnessed such an event, called it one of the most unforgettable nights of his life. "I could see the Milky Way stretching across the horizon while these massive red tendrils of light danced in the sky above a distant storm," he was quoted as saying to The Guardian. According to Zafra, no other image has captured both the Milky Way and red sprites in a single shot. The trio knew they had captured something rare and exceptional—a once-in-a-lifetime cosmic event.