Videos are circulating on social media, mainly on X (formerly Twitter), showing seven suns appearing in the sky of Chengdu, China. After the records went viral, experts explained to the Chinese newspaper Dimsum Daily the reason for this unusual occurrence.
The phenomenon, which occurred last Sunday (August 18) and lasted about two minutes, shows seven suns lined up. There are videos available that showcase the event from various angles.
Watch the video:
According to Zeng Yang, vice president of the Sichuan Society for Amateur Astronomy, this is a common optical illusion caused by the refraction and reflection of light in layers of glass.
“Each additional layer of glass creates another virtual image. Sometimes, even with the same glass panel, the number of virtual images can vary depending on the angle of view,” Yang said.
The institution’s report emphasizes that several suns “are erect and visibly darker”. This fact indicates the processes of light reflection and refraction.
(With information from “O Globo”)