Stargazers in China were left flabbergasted by a viral video that appeared to show seven suns in the sky.
Taken earlier this month from a hospital in Chengdu by a lady named Wang, the recording showed seven bright spots of varying intensity lined up next to each other which made it look surreal like something on another planet.
The video, which lasted for about one minute and could be seen from different angles, instantly got people interested. However, it was just an optical illusion masquerading as a cosmic spectacle.
The situation was caused by light refracting through layered glass in the windows of the hospital thereby creating what are known as “virtual images.” Each pane of glass contributed to the appearance of a separate sun.
But despite having scientific explanations, social media users resorted to speculating on what might have led to “seven suns”. On Weibo, one user quipped that “We’ve finally uncovered the truth about global warming” while another hilariously suggested that there had been “a magnetic field glitch” where parallel universes had overlapped but added that “the Cosmic Bureau has fixed the issue.”
This optical illusion also came up for discussion on Reddit with some users comparing it to Chinese myth of Hou Yi who shot down nine out ten Earth’s suns so as not burn our planet. One internet user at Reditt commented that ‘When earth has astigmatism’ while another humorously asked if this signalled system apocalypse or something else related to renowned air pollution problems in China.
The ultimate message behind these “seven suns” was how easily we can be deceived by our senses when faced with natural phenomena; therefore causing both awe and laughter among those who saw this happen.
