An amateur astronomer filmed a rare space lightning phenomenon which he believes has never been captured on film in Australia before.

David Finlay, from Kiama, New South Wales, believes he has recorded one of the only instances of the stunning red flashes, known as “lightning sprites”, ever to be seen from the earth in such frequency.

And the 44-year-old could not hide his exhilaration when he recorded time lapse footage of the marvel, described as “'upside down lightning” because it travels into space rather than down to earth.

In his video, the government worker can be heard repeatedly exclaiming 'no way!' 'oh yes!' and 'wow!' and laughing wildly as the bolts flash more than 30 times in just two hours.

"I set my camera up, and literally within minutes – almost no time at all – I started to see the sprites flashing on the horizon,” he said.

"I couldn't believe it. I thought I would be lucky to capture one or two, which would have been fantastic, but they just kept happening.

"I lost count, but it must have been at least 30. It could be the first time they have been captured from the ground on video in Australia, and I don't think anyone else has ever captured so many at once in one go anywhere.

"It just seems particularly unusual for there to have been so many – that in itself is unheard of.

Camera Icon “Space lightning”. Credit: David Finlay

"Lighting sprites certainly are a phenomenon that is extremely rare, and to witness the sheer quantity for so many to be seen in one place at one time is very unusual."

David filmed the incredibly rare phenomenon for two hours between 9pm and 11pm on Tuesday from Little Blowhole in New South Wales near his hometown of Kiama.

The amateur astronomer said the bolts – which he spotted over the sea 300km (186 miles) away – were visible despite being 90km (56 miles) above the earth – with each sprite a staggering 15km (nine miles) long.

They were amazed and had never seen anything like it or heard of anything like it in Australia,

Sprites – known as transient luminous events – are caused by an electrical discharge during storms but instead of going down towards the ground, as lightning normally does, they travel up into space – earning them the nickname 'upside down lightning'.

David only photographed the space lightning for the first time several months ago and this is the only occasion he has ever captured the marvel on film.

The height the lightning was striking at in the atmosphere is the distance from the earth at which meteors begin to burn.

And David said everyone who has watched his video agreed his over-the-top reactions to the sprites appearing again and again were the best part.

The 44-year-old said: "I've shown the footage to storm chasers and they were amazed and had never seen anything like it or heard of anything like it in Australia.

"'Space lightning' is pretty much what it is but it was not that long ago no one even knew about them.

"In the 1980s airline pilots started to witness them and report them but they were dismissed as optical illusions or that they were in their head – a trick of the mind.

"They have been filmed from international space stations before, but very rarely from the ground.

"In the video you can hear the excitement in my voice – it was just extraordinary, I couldn't believe it.

"I thought at any moment they were going to stop and I wouldn't see any more, but they just kept coming.

"I get excited about simple natural things, the weird and the unusual. This certainly fits that category."