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Incredible up-close footage shows a thunderstorm like you’ve never seen before

Published Jun 25th, 2022 8:01AM EDT
thunderstorm close-up
Image: Toni / Adobe

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Andrew McCarthy, a known astrophotographer, has captured video of a thunderstorm, unlike anything you’ve likely ever seen. He shared the video on his Instagram and also has a composite print of the event available on his website.

This thunderstorm video gives you a close-up look at our planet’s explosive nature

Whether you love thunderstorms or hate them, it’s hard not to appreciate the latest capture from astrophotographer Andrew McCarthy. McCarthy has captured some astounding photos of the Sun and even the Moon in the past. His latest capture gives us a close-up look at a thunderstorm as it rages across the Earth. The thunderstorm video is also unlike anything else he’s shared in the past.

McCarthy shared the thunderstorm video on Instagram on Thursday. He says that he noticed the storm while driving back home near Tucson, Arizona. He had a camera with him at the time, so he decided to set it up and capture the storm on video. The result is an absolutely astonishing portrayal of the lightning catching in the clouds.

He made the thunderstorm video using several different photos played in succession. Additionally, McCarthy has created a composite of the images and placed it on his website. That photo itself is also astounding, showcasing the lightning, dark clouds, and even star lines in the background. Altogether, it’s well worth checking out if you want to see how beautiful nature’s phenomena can be.

Chasing shots

This thunderstorm video isn’t the first time that McCarthy has delivered a beautiful composite for everyone to enjoy. As I noted above, he’s previously shared images of the Moon and Sun. In fact, one of his most recent photographs showcased the waxing crescent Moon as it passed behind several clouds. He truly has an eye for creating fantastic images that are hard to forget.

In fact, he’s actually gone on record about chasing great shots as much as he can. He recently stayed up most of the night to capture a photo of the International Space Station as it passed across the last quarter Moon. The dedication that McCarthy has shown to capturing content like this and the thunderstorm video showcase goes a long way.

Plus, his dedication has given us glimpses of fantastic events we might not otherwise have been given. You can see both images on McCarthy’s Instagram. Prints of each instance are also available for a limited time on his website, if you’d like to showcase them in your home or office.

Josh Hawkins has been writing for over a decade, covering science, gaming, and tech culture. He also is a top-rated product reviewer with experience in extensively researched product comparisons, headphones, and gaming devices.

Whenever he isn’t busy writing about tech or gadgets, he can usually be found enjoying a new world in a video game, or tinkering with something on his computer.