Rare red sprite lightnings in Tibet dazzle social media
Chinese photographer Dong Shuchang, who captured the sprites, produced a slow motion close-up video of the rare sight on May 31. PHOTO: SCREENSHOT FROM PAULOWNIA DONG SHUCHANG/WEIBO
Is it a ghost fire or alien jellyfish? Rare red sprite lightnings in Tibet dazzle social media
Blink and you will miss it. A rare red lightning phenomenon ignited the dark sky above Tibet over the weekend, setting social media on fire.
Known as 'red sprite', it is an electrical discharge that takes place above thunderclouds that are between 40km and 80km above ground .
Lightning flashes usually go downwards from the clouds to the ground, according to the BBC .
However, like a shot from a flare gun , a sprite goes in the other direction, which appears to be like backwards lightning.
According to the National Geographic , atmospheric nitrogen gas gives the bursts their distinctive red glow.
Chinese photographer Dong Shuchang, who captured the rare sight on May 31, wrote on Chinese social media Weibo that the first time he caught a similar occurrence was in May 2022.
'I decided to produce a slow motion close-up video and hope that more people will be able to witness this magical phenomenon in our magical skies.'
His video of the breathtaking lightnings went viral on Chinese social media, with netizens comparing the surreal scene to a ghost fire and alien jellyfish.
'Am I the only one who finds this terrifying?' says one comment, while another calls it 'Mother Nature's fireworks'.
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