When the atmosphere becomes layered with just the right mix of moisture, temperature, and wind: The swirling structure above isn’t a cosmic event — it's a rare type of mesoscale vortex, formed when rotating air currents interact with illuminated storm clouds. The bright glow comes from lightning scattering inside dense cloud layers, briefly outlining the spiral pattern of the rotating updraft. Meteorologists see fragments of these patterns inside strong thunderstorms, but capturing a full, clear