Awe-Inspiring Footage of a Lightning Storm in Slow Motion

A flash of lightning usually passes by in the blink of an eye. It’s a thrilling natural phenomenon, but it can be hard to get a sense of what it really looks like. That’s why, in order to observe the trajectory of a lightning bolt, researchers at the Florida Institute of Technology decided to record a lightning storm at an amazing 7000 frames per second using a brand new high speed camera.

Gizmodo explains that researchers plan to use the sophisticated camera to study the dynamics of thunderstorms in the upper atmosphere. In the video above, they’ve captured a lightning storm that occurred on May 20 near the University’s campus. The footage shows lightning creeping towards the ground, branching out as it descends, and finally exploding in a blinding flash when it makes contact with the earth. If you get nervous during thunderstorms, the footage above will do little to quell your fears. Nevertheless, it’s a beautiful (and slightly terrifying) reminder of the power of nature.

[h/t Gizmodo]

Banner Image Credit: Florida Institute of Technology, YouTube