"Once-in-a-lifetime": Rare Red Lightning captured over New Zealand's skies

A trio of photographers recently captured a rare and stunning phenomenon in New Zealand — red sprites, also known as red lightning.

The fleeting event occurred on October 11, when New Zealand photographer Tom Rae, along with Spanish photographers Dan Zafra and Jose Cantabrana, set out to photograph the Milky Way from the Omarama Clay Cliffs on South Island.

Their night took an unexpected turn when Rae discovered he had captured red sprites in his shots.

“He was checking his files for a Milky Way panorama and discovered he had captured red sprites. Dan and I just could not believe it – there was a whole bunch of screaming and shouting and all sorts going on in the dark,” Rae said.

For Rae, the experience was surreal. An award-winning nightscape photographer, he described the brief red flash as otherworldly.

“Just a perfect coincidence looking at the right part of the sky. I saw a brief red flash… it looks like you're seeing something that is not real, it's very ethereal,” he told The Guardian.

Zafra, witnessing the phenomenon for the first time, called it one of the most memorable experiences of his life, noting how rare it is to capture both the Milky Way and red sprites in a single frame.

“It was one of those moments when you know you're witnessing something you'll probably never see again,” he said.

Red sprites are large-scale electrical discharges that occur high above thunderstorms, reaching altitudes of up to 90 kilometers.

Appearing as jellyfish-like shapes, they last only a few milliseconds, making them extremely difficult to capture.

“Sprites can appear as pillars or jellyfish-like shapes, lasting only a few milliseconds, which makes them incredibly hard to see. Because they're so faint, high, and unpredictable, red sprites remain one of the most elusive natural phenomena on Earth,” Rae explained.

Though red sprites have been captured before, sightings in New Zealand are exceptionally rare.

Ideal conditions — a clear horizon, perfect timing, and luck — are needed. Otago Museum astronomer Ian Griffin noted that sprites were first photographed in 1989 and are so brief that even seasoned skywatchers rarely spot them.

The phenomenon continues to intrigue scientists studying upper-atmosphere electrical discharges and their effects.

Similar events have been recorded above the Himalayas, offering insights into powerful storms and rare atmospheric mysteries.