Smithsonian magazine's 22nd Annual Photo Contest | Made possible through the support of MPB.com

22nd Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Natural World
Lightning propagating upward from One World Trade Center

Upwardly propagating lightning from One World Trade Center in downtown Manhattan. Lightning strikes on the building are pretty common, with at least a few storms a year each producing a few or many bolts. Most of them aren't particularly photogenic, especially as they happen often during heavy rain. But 3 spectacular bolts with symmetric branching occurred within 10 minutes of each other, just before the deluge.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 04.2023
Date Uploaded: 12.2024
Photo Location: New York, New York, United States of America
Camera: ILCE-7M3
Copyright: © Joe McHugh