This Could Be the First Documented Timelapse of Red Sprites with the Milky Way

While exploring the dark skies above New Zealand’s Clay Cliffs on October 11, Dan Zafra witnessed a phenomenon so rare, it might just be a world first. He spotted red sprites flickering beside the Southern Hemisphere Milky Way, and captured them together in a timelapse and still images. Dan kindly shared his video and photos with us, as well as more info about this magical evening that resulted in a once-in-a-lifetime timelapse.

A Night Like No Other

If you’re into astrophotography, I’m sure you know Dan and Capture the Atlas. You’ve seen the Milky Way Photographer of the Year and Northern Lights Photographer of the Year featured on DIYP. But I’m happy to cover Dan’s personal project this time.

“I experienced one of the most extraordinary nights of my life,” Dan tells DIYP. And that’s not an exaggeration. With perfectly clear skies and a thunderstorm brewing over the Southern Alps, the setting galactic core framed a moment that felt straight out of science fiction. Suddenly, Dan’s camera began to pick up something otherworldly: flashes of crimson light above the clouds.

“At first, they looked like normal lightning, but after a few test shots, I realized my camera was capturing red sprites.”

Red sprites are massive electrical discharges that soar as high as 90 kilometers above thunderstorms. They last just milliseconds and are almost invisible to the naked eye. Even experienced storm chasers can spend years trying to catch a glimpse, without ever succeeding. For Dan to capture them above one of the most iconic stretches of the Milky Way? That’s some serious skill paired with incredible luck.

[Related reading: NASA Astronaut Photographs a Rare Red Sprite from Space]

The Gear and the Process

Dan’s setup was simple but powerful enough. He used a Sony A7III paired with a Sony GM 24mm f/1.4 lens. The sky was exposed for 10 seconds at f/1.4 and ISO 6400, while the foreground was a 2-minute exposure to bring out detail. He did some minimal contrast and noise adjustments, and interestingly enough, used no stacking or star-tracking! Just clean, intentional shooting and a sharp eye for the moment.

The sprites seem to stretch upward toward the stars, vivid and surreal, almost like nature was pulling off a magic trick. “Seeing them move across the sky was mesmerizing,” Dan shares. “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.”

But There’s More Than “Just” Red Stripes

As if capturing the red stripes wasn’t rewarding enough, there’s more in this cosmic mix. To make things even more surreal, Dan also captured a bit of glow from the Aurora Australis and comet SWAN subtly shimmering near the galactic core. “Everything aligned,” he says, “sprites… Milky Way… aurora… a comet. It was one of those moments when you know you’re witnessing something you’ll probably never see again.”

Dan believes this might be the first-ever documented image and video showing red sprites and the Southern Hemisphere Milky Way in the same frame. “This image bridges the gap between atmospheric and astrophotography,” he says. “It’s moments like these that remind me why I spend so many nights under the stars.”

More Than Just Luck

It’s important to note that Dan wasn’t just in the right place at the right time. He’s a skillful astrophotographer and he came prepared. He knew how to recognize a rare electrical discharge and knew the galactic core’s exact position. And he had the patience to wait until nature pulled off one of its most elusive light shows.

“I’ll never forget the adrenaline rush of seeing those first frames appear on my camera, realizing what I had captured.”

I nearly cried seeing the red sprites appear in the timelapse, so I can only imagine Dan’s joy when he spotted them in his own images. So, I now leave you to enjoy this incredible timelapse, and make sure to follow Dan on Instagram for more of his work.

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