Rare red sprite lightning in Tibet dazzles social media
Chinese photographer Dong Shuchang, who captured the red sprites, produced a slow motion close-up video of the rare sight on May 31.PHOTO: SCREENSHOT FROM PAULOWNIA DONG SHUCHANG/WEIBO
Blink and you will miss it. A rare red lightning phenomenon illuminated the dark sky above Tibet over the weekend, setting social media on fire.
Known as a red sprite, it is an electrical discharge that occurs above thunderclouds, between 40km and 80km above the ground.
Lightning flashes usually go downwards from the clouds to the ground, according to the BBC.
READ: Hong Kong lashed with nearly 10,000 lightning strikes overnight
But like a shot from a flare gun, a sprite goes in the other direction, appearing like backwards lightning.
According to 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 platform Weibo that the first time he caught a similar occurrence was in May 2022.
READ: Pictures of lightning circulating online amazes, scares netizens
“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 lightning 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?” said one comment, while another described it as “mother nature’s fireworks”. /dl
5月31日至6月1日，西藏山南出現红色精灵闪电。 pic.twitter.com/JMVUeqQd6q
— ying tang (@yingtan04410735) June 2, 2025
