Mysterious-looking Light Pillars appear in Sulu skies
Images of incredible beams of light that appear to burst into space in Sulu, Jolo, have gone viral this week.
The lights are actually a pretty common atmospheric phenomenon called light pillars.
Photos uploaded by Benjj Sulaiman and Amarkhan Jidara on Facebook show different views and angles taken by residents during the phenomenon.
It was the second time the celestial phenomenon appeared in Sulu skies this year, according to residents.
According to Live Science, although they look a lot like an aurora, they’re not related to the Northern Lights, which are caused by electrically charged particles from space exciting atoms in Earth’s upper atmosphere, causing them to release spectacular light.
Instead, light pillars occur in freezing temperatures when flat, hexagonal ice crystals form lower in the atmosphere than they usually would.
Sulu folks claim they have been seeing the lights for quite sometime already, appearing once or twice a year.
The ethereal sight is sometimes confused with something extraterrestrial.
Local Taugsugs call the lights “Lansuk-Lansuk” or candles. They believe they are bringers of bad omens.
Others look at it as a sign of good luck.
Source: Filipino Times