For many of us, thunderstorms are all about lightning bolts, darkish clouds and the occasional dramatic sky.However every so often, nature places on a present so extraordinary that it seems to be straight out of a science-fiction movie.That is precisely what occurred lately over Tibet, the place a photographer captured one of many rarest atmospheric spectacles on Earth – large purple flashes of sunshine capturing above thunderclouds, accompanied by an excellent rarer inexperienced glow.The breathtaking footage has now gone viral, leaving individuals world wide questioning if what they’re seeing is even actual.The reply is sure.And that is what makes it so unimaginable.The visuals had been recorded by Chinese language astrophotographer Dong Shuchang within the early hours of Might 26 close to Lake Puma Yumco in Tibet’s Xizang area. Perched at an altitude of greater than 5,000 metres above sea stage, Dong witnessed an intense thunderstorm unfolding within the distance.However the storm itself wasn’t the primary attraction.Excessive above the clouds, vivid purple streaks immediately started showing throughout the sky.These glowing formations are generally known as purple sprites, one of the vital mysterious weather-related phenomena scientists have found.Not like unusual lightning, which travels downward towards the bottom, sprites seem excessive above thunderstorms, generally stretching dozens of kilometres into the higher environment. As a result of they happen so excessive up and final solely fractions of a second, they’re notoriously tough to identify with the bare eye.For many years, many individuals did not even know they existed.Dong described the expertise as one of the vital extraordinary moments of his images profession. “Within the early hours of Might 26, 2026, I captured a spectacular show of purple sprite lightning by the shores of Lake Puma Yumco in Shannan, Xizang, at an altitude of over 5,000 meters above sea stage,” he wrote whereas sharing the footage.However there was one thing else hidden throughout the show.Alongside the purple flashes, Dong additionally managed to {photograph} an excellent rarer phenomenon generally known as Ghost sprites.These seem as faint inexperienced glows above among the strongest purple sprites and happen when oxygen molecules within the higher environment turn into energised.The result’s a surreal inexperienced shimmer that just about resembles a miniature aurora floating above the storm.“Throughout this huge purple sprite outbreak, I photographed quite a few extraordinarily uncommon Ghost sprites, the inexperienced glow generated when oxygen molecules are excited by essentially the most highly effective purple sprites. It is neither AI-generated nor edited with particular results, but it seems to be so surreal,” Dong stated.For anybody watching the footage for the primary time, it is easy to grasp why he felt the necessity to make clear that.The photographs look nearly unreal.Towering purple pillars rise above the clouds. Inexperienced flashes seem overhead. Your complete sky appears to glow with colors most individuals by no means affiliate with thunderstorms.And but, each little bit of it’s pure.In response to scientists, purple sprites belong to a class generally known as Transient Luminous Occasions, or TLEs. These are transient flashes of sunshine that happen above highly effective storms quite than inside them.Sprites can seem in numerous shapes and patterns. Some resemble jellyfish. Others appear like branching tree roots, large carrots or vertical columns of sunshine.The formations captured over Tibet are being described as among the clearest and most dramatic examples ever photographed.“That is the clearest and largest sprite lightning I’ve captured in 4 years. Hope you take pleasure in it,” Dong added.Because the footage unfold on-line, viewers had been left each fascinated and amazed.Many admitted they’d by no means even heard of purple sprites earlier than.One consumer wrote, “I’m 44 years outdated and simply discovering out about this. Merely breathtaking.”One other stated, “I like the way it excited the oxygen molecules within the higher environment and gave us a mini aurora.”Maybe essentially the most relatable response got here from somebody who had witnessed the phenomenon years in the past.“I’ve seen purple sprites solely as soon as in my life. It was breathtaking. I used to be driving at evening, coming down the mountain with my youngsters asleep of their carseats and identical to that, over the ridge I noticed a flash of them. I really feel so blessed to witness them.”After which there was the remark that most likely crossed many individuals’s minds.“Think about you see this 1000 years in the past and might’t clarify what chemical response is going on. That is some demon story proper there.”Truthfully, they don’t seem to be incorrect.A thousand years in the past, glowing purple towers and mysterious inexperienced lights showing above a thunderstorm would most likely have turn into legend.As we speak, science can clarify them.However one way or the other, understanding what they’re does not make them any much less magical.