An unusual phenomenon in the skies over Chengdu, China, recently captivated not only the city’s residents but also internet users worldwide. On August 18, the sky above Sichuan was illuminated by what appeared to be seven “suns,” an extraordinary sight that was quickly captured in photos and videos. This stunning event, however, lasted only about a minute. A photo of the seven suns was shared on Reddit, where it immediately drew significant attention. Users began speculating about the cause of this rare occurrence. At first glance, it seemed to resemble a parhelion, an atmospheric phenomenon where light is refracted through ice crystals in the upper atmosphere, creating the appearance of additional “suns” around the real one. However, the actual cause turned out to be quite different. Zeng Yang, vice president of the Sichuan Astronomy Society, clarified that the sevenfold image of the sun wasn’t due to an atmospheric effect but rather an optical illusion created by laminated glass. He explained that each layer of glass adds an additional reflection of the sun, and the number of visible “suns” can change depending on the viewing angle. “This illusion results from overlapping images when viewed through multiple layers of glass, with each layer adding another ‘sun’ to the sky. It’s a rare and impressive sight, though not related to natural phenomena,” Zeng Yang explained. Although there is a scientific explanation for the seven suns, some people still preferred to believe that the spectacle fell under the story of Hou Yi. In Chinese mythology, Hou Yi was portrayed as the god of archery who was sent from the Heavens to help humans. He is said to have stopped 10 suns from burning up the earth and according to the tale, shot them down with his magic bows and arrows. The tenth sun begged for its life and agreed to separate the day from the night as punishment for attempting to burn up the earth. Despite the simple explanation for the illusion, the event sparked numerous discussions and questions. The post Seven suns in the sky: an unusual phenomenon in China appeared first on Anomalien.com.