Lightning appeared to strike near the Washington Monument during July 4 fireworks

Amid a pyrotechnic display billed as the largest in history, Mother Nature staged its own fireworks show during DC's Independence Day celebration. A thunderstorm unleashed a vivid cloud-to-ground lightning bolt that appeared to align with the Washington Monument as the manmade fireworks lit up the sky.

The dramatic image was captured by Alyssa Wakefield Negvesky and shared on X just after midnight on July 5. Additional photos of lightning striking near the monument surfaced not longer after.

At first glance, the photographs appears to show the monument being struck. But the lightning most likely hit the ground behind the monument instead. In the still images (shown above), a lightning channel directly behind the monument can appear perfectly aligned with it because of the camera's perspective. A confirmed strike typically appears to terminate at the monument's tip (or, less commonly, its side).

[Why the Washington Monument is a lightning target]

Because lightning is a three-dimensional phenomenon and a photograph compresses it into two dimensions, a bolt behind the monument can appear to strike it from a single camera angle.

Video shared by Negvesky further suggests the bolt made contact with the ground behind the monument rather than the monument itself.

Another video of the bolt closer to the monument clearly shows it was some distance away.

Considering the lightning in the area during the fireworks display, it was fortunate no one was injured.

The evening's events, including President Trump's speech, were delayed because of the threat of thunderstorms, prompting officials to evacuate the National Mall. As Trump spoke, additional storms developed to the west and approached downtown. Despite the nearby lightning, the fireworks display was allowed to proceed.

"In my count, there were four [lightning bolts] that were visible by observers facing the fireworks looking southward," wrote Dave Dildine, who witnessed the spectacle and captured two different bolts, one shown below.

Other Capital Weather followers also captured spectacular lightning amid the fireworks: