Residents of Sakhalin Island in Russia were left stunned after witnessing what appeared to be two suns glowing simultaneously in the sky, a striking scene that quickly went viral on social media.
Videos and images of the unusual sight were widely shared, prompting curiosity and speculation among viewers. Weather experts and international media reports later clarified that the phenomenon was not astronomical, but atmospheric in nature.
Specialists explained that extreme cold caused tiny ice crystals to form in the air, which reflected and refracted sunlight in a way that created the illusion of a second sun. This optical effect is known as a sundog, or parhelion.
During the sighting, temperatures on Sakhalin Island reportedly dropped to minus 14 degrees Celsius, with forecasts warning they could plunge further to minus 23 degrees. Experts noted that such visual phenomena are more likely to appear in severe cold conditions.
A sundog is a type of ice halo that forms when sunlight enters one side of an ice crystal and exits through another at an angle of about 60 degrees. According to NASA, sundogs are most visible when the Sun is low on the horizon and typically appear around 22 degrees to either side of it. The inner edge of the light often shows a reddish hue, while greens and blues appear farther out.
Although rare and eye-catching, sundogs can be seen anywhere in the world and at any time of year. Similar events have been recorded before, including sightings of three suns in China’s Mohe region in 2020 and reports of five suns appearing over Inner Mongolia in earlier years.
