Alien invasion? Mysterious light pillars illuminate Japan’s night sky, sparks social media frenzy

Nine white pillars of light were spotted in the sky at Mikuriya Port in Daisen Town, Japan, where the bright lights stood out sharply against the dark clouds.

The photo was shared on X.

Nine white pillars of light recently lit up Japan’s skies, leaving residents baffled. The unusual incident occurred on May 11, prompting people to share pictures of what they witnessed on social media.

In a photo taken at Mikuriya Port in Daisen Town, Japan, the bright lights stood out sharply against the dark clouds, resembling a scene straight out of an alien invasion movie. The photo was shared by @Rainmaker1973 on X with the caption, “Light pillars are an atmospheric optical phenomenon in which vertical beams of light appear to extend above and/or below a light source. Sometimes they even appear as detached from the source. These ones were spotted over Daisen, a coastal town in Japan.”

This phenomenon is known as ‘isaribi kochu’, meaning ‘fish-attracting light pillars’. Japan Today explained that the sudden bright reflection occurs when overnight temperatures drop low enough for ice crystals to form in the air above the ships. “When the conditions are just right to produce large enough crystals but no precipitation, the light from their boats reflects off the crystals and shines brightly enough to be seen from shore,” said Japan Today.

Light pillars are an atmospheric optical phenomenon in which vertical beams of light appear to extend above and/or below a light source. Sometimes they even appear as detached from the source.

These ones were spotted over Daisen, a coastal town in Japan. pic.twitter.com/Hyhbf0tte6

— Massimo (@Rainmaker1973) May 20, 2024

With 72.1K views on X, the photo is viral. One user said, “Damn it, now I can’t make a move for 3 turns.” A second user wrote, “Don’t let my grandma see this, she would say it’s heaven.” And a third user commented, “There’s something magical about light pillars, almost like a cosmic spotlight show. It’s fascinating how nature mimics art—next time you’re out stargazing, keep an eye out for these ethereal beams, they might just steal the show from the stars.”

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An X user shared a similar incident, saying, “Very interesting as in late 1985 I am some other travellers saw these strange vertical lights from top of Mt Sinai which we slept on overnight. Unfortunately, B-option on my camera did not work so did a sketch; being in the desert remains a mystery to this day as to light source.”

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