Lightning Strikes Beneath The Milky Way In NASA's Pic Of The Day

A stunning photograph that shows lightning strike beneath the Milky Way has been chosen by NASA as its 'Astronomy Picture of the Day'. The image, clicked by photographer Ivan Pedretti, has captured the natural phenomenon in all its glory, set against the backdrop of an inky blue sky dotted with stars. 

Ivan Pedretti captured the photo, titled 'Electric Night', from the southern tip of the Italian island of Sardinia in June. Take a look at the photograph below:

NASA, while featuring the image on its website, also shared a short explanation written by a professional astronomer. "It may appear, at first, like the Galaxy is producing the lightning, but really it's the Earth," reads the note shared by NASA.

"In the distance, across the Mediterranean Sea, a thunderstorm is threatening, with several electric lightning strokes caught together during this 25-second wide-angle exposure," NASA explains, adding that the rocks and shrubs in the picture are near the famous Capo Spartivento Lighthouse.

"Much farther in the distance, strewn about the sky, are hundreds of stars in the neighborhood of our Sun in the Milky Way Galaxy."

According to NASA, slanting down from the upper left are the billions of stars that form the central band of the Milky Way.

In August, another lightning picture had been featured in NASA's 'Astronomy Picture of the Day' section. The striking photo showed upward lightning shooting from the top of a mountain.