Buzz
When we think of bizarre light phenomena, rainbows, the aurora borealis, or halos around the Sun often come to mind. While it’s unlikely that you’ll look outside and see these dazzling sights at any given moment, there are other light occurrences that have left people scratching their heads for years.
Our planet has witnessed a vast range of optical curiosities. The sources of these enigmatic lights aren't always clear, and they have sparked both folklore and scientific investigation. Some of these phenomena have been explained, but many remain shrouded in mystery.
10. Sprites, Jets, and Elves (A Strange Trio!)
Although these rare phenomena are easier to capture with a low-light camera, it’s possible to spot red sprites in the sky with the naked eye. Jets appear as blue streaks and often resemble lightning shooting upwards from a cloud. Elves, which is the singular form of 'elve', are flat-shaped events observed above thunderstorms, typically glowing with a reddish hue.
These elusive occurrences are all examples of upper atmospheric lightning. They are often discovered while researchers are looking for other phenomena, like meteor showers. With advancements in technology, scientists are uncovering a vast array of different atmospheric phenomena.
9. Hessdalen Lights
These mysterious lights are found in the Hessdalen Valley in Norway. No conclusive explanation has been found for the lights, which vary in color, intensity, and duration. Many groups, including the Norwegian organization UFO-Norge, have investigated these lights, though results remain inconclusive.
The phenomenon occurs very close to the ground, setting it apart from many other occurrences that tend to be more common at higher altitudes. It appears in a double formation with remarkable regularity and predictability.
A study conducted in 2007 presents a more refined theory using cameras and intensity plots. This approach was essential to differentiate between lights from human sources and the Hessdalen lights themselves. The plots don’t reveal much about the lights’ actual composition, but they point to one likely cause: gas and dust. The dust rises to meet the gas, which then ignites, continuing until the fuel between the two is depleted.
8. Marfa Ghost Lights
As the name implies, these lights are located near Marfa, Texas. The locals, long accustomed to these peculiar lights, describe them as friendly ghost lights. They can be observed both day and night, although the area has been tailored for tourists since 2003, with restricted viewing hours for visitors. These lights have been spotted since the days when cowboys drove cattle across the prairies.
Skeptics argue that the lights are simply headlights from the nearby highway or campfires at night. Others propose that the effect is caused by the fluctuating temperatures due to Marfa’s elevation of 1,429 meters (4,688 ft) above sea level. The mix of warm and cold air bends the light from distant sources in a way that isn’t visible from up close.
7. Ozark Spook Light
This elusive light calls Oklahoma home. Because it is most visible from the east, it has also been dubbed the Hornet Spook Light, named after the nearby town of Hornet, Missouri. The light’s size varies but it is almost always orange in hue. Despite sightings for centuries, dating back to the time when Native Americans walked the Trail of Tears, no one has been able to definitively explain its origin.
Theories about this light are similar to those surrounding the Marfa Ghost Lights—possible causes include car headlights, billboards, or gas leaks. Local legends often tell tales of someone losing an item and searching for it in the dark with a lantern. One story speaks of two lovers who eloped and were pursued by a hunting party. The couple leapt to their deaths into the Spring River, and their spirits have floated together ever since.
6. Brown Mountain Lights
There are several vantage points from which to witness these mysterious lights in North Carolina. When they were first studied, the prevailing theory was that they were simply headlights in the distance, bent through the atmosphere. However, this explanation was later challenged when the lights continued to appear after a flood, with no traffic or boats in sight.
Other skeptics suggest that two distinct phenomena occur at different viewing locations. From Wiseman’s View, it seems as though lights are dancing beneath the trees in the Brown Mountains, resembling people waving lights around. A Cherokee legend speaks of the spirits of wives searching for their husbands lost in war. Despite these tales, others believe the real Brown Mountain Lights lie elsewhere.
The Brown Mountain Lights are not in the trees but in the sky. Initially, it was believed that the lights were the result of a locomotive over the hill, casting its beams across the mountain, which would explain why locals saw them at the same time each night, assuming the train ran on schedule. However, the train in question had two lights, not one. Further investigation revealed that reports of the lights coincided with the introduction of electric lights in the area. These lights were refracted into the sky and could be seen from a particular point, explaining why they seemed to linger and vanish. If someone walked too far along the path, they could simply walk back to spot the light again.
5. Chaleur Fire Ship
According to legend, the Chaleur Fire Ship is the ghost of a pirate vessel destroyed for kidnapping two Native American girls. The fiery apparition sails through Canada’s Chaleur Bay, the site of the tragic event. The crew can still be seen operating the ship, raising and lowering sails. While science attributes this to natural gases beneath the waves, locals insist this phenomenon has been happening ever since Captain Craig’s ship sank.
Science has yet to fully explain this mystery. Some who have ventured out to the phenomenon claim the ship maintains the same distance no matter how far they sail. Through a telescope, no new details are revealed that couldn't be seen with the naked eye. The ship has no solid form, sometimes lingering and other times appearing and disappearing in the blink of an eye.
Other theories suggest the phenomenon might be caused by gases released by submarines or by bioluminescent organisms. However, scientists have largely dismissed the bioluminescence theory, since the Fire Ship has been sighted even in winter when the water is frozen.
4. Fata Morgana
Usually seen over water, these masters of illusion can confuse and mesmerize. However, seasoned seafarers can often see through the deception. The phenomenon occurs when images on the water are refracted, flipped upside down, and stretched like rubber bands. These distorted images can appear as ships or landmasses.
Fata Morganas can also appear on land. Essentially, the image is refracted from beyond the horizon into our eyes, making objects appear where they logically shouldn’t. Some believe Fata Morganas provide a modern explanation for the legend of the Flying Dutchman, a ship seemingly suspended in midair over the horizon, giving the illusion of floating above the water.
3. Moonbows
Much like rainbows (or sunbows, as I now call them), moonbows require water particles in the air to appear. The Moon must be almost at its peak to provide enough light, and it must be positioned low in the sky to illuminate the water below.
Moonbows are most often spotted near waterfalls during a full Moon at dusk. And yes, it's even possible to witness a double moonbow.
2. Sundog
More accurately referred to as parhelia (the singular being 'parhelion'), sundogs resemble halos but form two crescents, one on each side of the Sun. These crescents are positioned at a 22-degree angle from the Sun. This phenomenon occurs when ice crystals in the atmosphere refract the Sun's light at precise angles.
A notable incident involving a Sundog occurred when NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) was launched. On that day, a sundog appeared in the SDO's trajectory, and as the SDO passed, it destroyed the sundog and caused the ice crystals to spin, creating a burst of white light trailing the spacecraft. It took the scientists some time to identify this unusual light phenomenon.
1. Green Flash
This rare optical event can occur during the sunrise or sunset, when the Sun appears to have a thin green rim around it. Thanks to the stretching effect similar to that of Fata Morganas, you may also spot a brief green flash just above the Sun.
This phenomenon is most easily observed when the Sun is reflected over water in unpolluted air. On rare occasions, the flash may appear in blue rather than the usual green.
