7 Suns in China’s Sky: Watch Viral VIDEO & Discover the Phenomenon Behind It!

Have you ever looked up at the sky and seen something that made you question reality? Recently, residents of Chengdu, China, experienced just that when the sky appeared to host not one, but seven suns.  This extraordinary phenomenon, captured on video by a quick-thinking observer, lasted for a mere minute but has since captivated the imagination of people worldwide. While it may seem like a scene from a science fiction movie, this celestial spectacle has a fascinating scientific explanation rooted in the principles of optics.

The Phenomenon Explained

The video of the seven suns quickly went viral on Chinese social media platforms like Weibo, with users expressing amazement and offering humorous explanations. Some jokingly attributed it to a “glitch in the Matrix,” while others saw it as a sign of impending climate change. So, what was that?

What witnesses saw was not actually multiple suns, but rather a stunning optical illusion known as a “sun dog” or “mock sun.” This rare occurrence is caused by the refraction and reflection of light through ice crystals in the atmosphere, typically in high-altitude cirrus clouds.

Let’s look at the video!

The video shows seven distinct bright spots in the sky, aligned horizontally. Some of the “suns” appear brighter than others, with the central image likely being the true sun. Several of the images are vertically aligned, a key indicator of light refraction through layered surfaces.

The Science Behind the Illusion

This particular instance of multiple suns is actually a result of light interacting with laminated glass, likely from the window through which the video was recorded. Here’s how it works:

1. Refraction: As light passes through each layer of glass, it bends slightly.
2. Reflection: Some light is reflected between the layers of glass.
3. Virtual Images: Each layer of glass creates a virtual image of the sun, resulting in multiple appearances.
4. Intensity Variation: The brightness of each image varies based on how many times the light has been reflected and refracted.

Historical and Cultural Significance

Sun dogs and similar phenomena have been observed throughout history and have often been interpreted as omens or divine signs. In Chinese mythology, there’s a famous legend of the archer Hou Yi shooting down nine of ten suns to save the Earth from scorching heat.