A rare form of lightning called "gigantic jets" was observed about 100 miles southeast of Puerto Rico on August 4, shooting upward out of a thunderstorm. In contrast to regular lightning, this unusual occurrence takes place at the top of storm clouds and can soar all the way into the ionosphere.
The curious incident was captured by cameras of the Astronomical Society of the Caribbean, which were actually set up to observe meteors rather than storms. Though the above black-and-white video reveals good structural details, the phenomenon can have dazzling reddish colors, as seen in this image from a storm near the Himalayan Mountains earlier this year. For more, visit EarthSky.