Photographer Dan Zafra captured rare red sprites above the Southern Hemisphere Milky Way from the Clay Cliffs, South Island, New Zealand on 11 October 2025. Red sprites are fleeting, high-altitude luminous discharges (about 50–90 km up) that are nearly impossible to see unaided and appear as red, tendril-like forms in photographs. Zafra used a Sony a7 III with a 24mm f/1.4 lens (sky: f/1.4, 10s, ISO 6400; foreground: 2 min) and applied minimal processing; he also produced a timelapse. He believes this may be the first documented pairing of sprites with the Southern Milky Way.
Right Place, Right Time: Rare Red Sprites Dance Above the Southern Milky Way
Photographer Dan Zafra captured rare red sprites above the Southern Hemisphere Milky Way from the Clay Cliffs, South Island, New Zealand on 11 October 2025. Red sprites are fleeting, high-altitude luminous discharges (about 50–90 km up) that are nearly impossible to see unaided and appear as red, tendril-like forms in photographs. Zafra used a Sony a7 III with a 24mm f/1.4 lens (sky: f/1.4, 10s, ISO 6400; foreground: 2 min) and applied minimal processing; he also produced a timelapse. He believes this may be the first documented pairing of sprites with the Southern Milky Way.
13:16, 02.11.2025Science
Rare high-altitude lightning and the Milky Way align for an unforgettable shot
Photography can place you inside moments that are nearly impossible to repeat. That is exactly what happened to Dan Zafra, co-founder of Capture the Atlas, who photographed New Zealand's dark skies and discovered faint red sprites flashing above the Southern Hemisphere Milky Way — with a hint of Aurora Australis and the small comet SWAN also visible.
Zafra was shooting at the Clay Cliffs on New Zealand’s South Island on 11 October 2025 under clear skies when faint flashes appeared on the horizon from a distant thunderstorm over the Southern Alps. "At first they looked like normal lightning, but after a few test shots I realized my camera was capturing red sprites," he recalled.
What are red sprites?
Red sprites are brief, luminous electrical discharges that form high above thunderstorm clouds at altitudes roughly between 50 and 90 kilometers, unlike ordinary lightning which occurs in the lower atmosphere. They are nearly impossible to see with the naked eye and register in photographs as red, tendril-like structures that last only a few milliseconds. Sprites are especially rare in New Zealand because large, lightning-producing storms are uncommon there.
The shot and the technique
Zafra described the scene as uniquely magical: the Milky Way glowed low on the horizon while red tendrils danced above a storm hundreds of kilometres away. "It was one of those moments when you know you’re witnessing something you’ll probably never see again," he said.
Equipment and settings:
- Sony a7 III body
- Sony FE 24mm F1.4 GM lens
- Sky exposure: f/1.4, 10 seconds, ISO 6400
- Foreground exposure: 2 minutes (other settings unchanged)
Zafra reports minimal processing: only modest contrast and noise reduction, and a blended longer-exposure foreground for clarity. He did not use stacking or star-tracking techniques to capture the stars. He also produced a timelapse that shows the sprites flashing in real time, illustrating just how fleeting those discharges are.
Significance
According to Zafra’s searches, there appear to be no previously documented photos or timelapses showing red sprites together with the Southern Hemisphere Milky Way. If confirmed, this pairing would be an unusual and valuable record for atmospheric and astrophotography communities. "I’ll never forget the adrenaline rush of seeing those first frames appear on my camera," he said. "I felt incredibly lucky to be there; in the right place, at the right time, and ready for it."
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