Our world is fraught with many unusual natural phenomena. There are some that are easy to explain, but there are also those that modern science unable to understand. In this article we will consider their second part in more detail.

Moroccan goats grazing on trees

Interestingly, Morocco is the only country in the world in which goats, because of the small amount of grass, climb trees and graze in whole herds there, while feasting on argan fruits. This amazing picture can only be found in the Middle and High Atlas, in addition, between Agadir and Essaouira in the Sousse Valley. Shepherds walk their goats, walking between the trees. It is worth noting that such unusual ones attract thousands of curious tourists every year. With such global consumption of argans, less and less oil is collected from these nuts every year. And it is believed to contain various anti-aging microelements. An announcement campaign is underway today this place reserve.

Black sun of Denmark

Denmark also has unusual natural phenomena. Thus, in the spring, about a million European starlings flock in huge flocks from all surrounding areas an hour before sunset. The Danes call this process the Black Sun. It can be observed in early spring near the marshes of western Denmark.

Starlings fly from the south and spend the whole day in the meadows, and in the evening, after performing collective pirouettes in the sky, they settle down to rest in the reeds for the night.

Crawling stones

This amazing action that takes place in Death Valley has been troubling the minds of scientists who are trying to create a description of natural phenomena for several decades. Huge boulders crawl by themselves along the bottom of Racetrack Playa Lake. At the same time, no one touches them, but they still crawl. No one has ever seen exactly how they move. At the same time, they persistently move, as if alive, sometimes turning over on their side, while leaving deep traces behind them that stretch for several meters. Periodically, the stones draw such complex and unusual lines that they turn over, doing somersaults as they move.

Moon Rainbow

A night rainbow (or lunar rainbow) is light that is reflected from the surface of the Moon. It is much dimmer than the sun. Moon rainbow is very a rare event nature. If observed with the naked eye, it may appear colorless, which is why it is often called “white.” There are several places in the world where the phenomenon of night rainbows occurs quite often. Among them are Victoria Falls in Australia and Cumberland Falls in Kentucky,

Fish rain in Honduras

When studying unusual natural phenomena, it is worth noting that rain from animals is a very rare meteorological phenomenon, but such cases have been recorded in different countries throughout the history of all mankind. Although this is a regular occurrence in Honduras. Every year, during the period May-July, a dark cloud appears in the sky, thunder rumbles, lightning flashes, a very strong wind blows, and heavy rain falls for 2-3 hours. After it ends, thousands of living fish remain on the ground.

People collect them like mushrooms and take them home to cook. The Fish Rain Festival has been held here since 1998. It is celebrated in the city of Yoro, Honduras. One of the hypotheses for the appearance of this phenomenon is that very strong winds lift fish from the water several kilometers into the air, since the waters off the northern coast of Honduras Caribbean Sea abound in fish and other seafood. But no one has ever witnessed this.

Annular eclipse

There are various unusual ones in the world, they are presented in this article. One of them is an annular eclipse. With it, the Moon is far from the Earth in order to completely cover the Sun. It looks like this: the Moon moves across the disk of the Sun, although it is smaller in diameter and cannot completely hide it. Such eclipses are of practically no interest to scientists.

Lenticular clouds

Considering unusual natural phenomena, it is necessary to say about this. It would seem that today it is impossible to surprise anyone with clouds. But in nature there is a rare biconvex appearance. These are round-shaped clouds that resemble more. It is not surprising that they are also called “crazy”: the bizarre shape surprises with its originality.

star Rain

We continue the description of natural phenomena. Star shower, despite its name, has nothing to do with starfall. What the human eye perceives as many small stars is huge stream meteors that burn up upon entering the Earth's atmosphere. At the same time, the amount of data celestial bodies can reach up to a thousand in one hour. Some of them, which do not have time to burn completely, end up on Earth.

Fire whirlwinds

A beautiful, dangerous and rare natural phenomenon is fire whirlwinds. They appear at a certain combination of air direction and temperature. The flame can rise up to tens of meters, thus forming something like a fire tornado.

Halo

We continue to consider amazing natural phenomena, examples of which are given in this article. Halo scientific language is defined as a visual phenomenon - a ring glowing around a light source, emerging from cloud crystals. To put it simply, we can say that this is a rainbow; it can be seen around the Moon or the Sun, and periodically around lights, for example, in the center of a night metropolis.

Tornado

This phenomenon is atmospheric vortex, arising in a thundercloud. It reaches the ground in the form of a cloud arm. A tornado can have a diameter of hundreds of meters. It looks impressive. Although, unfortunately, it can bring no less impressive disasters and destruction.

Brocken Ghosts

Considering various natural phenomena, it is worth talking about this. appear in Germany on Mount Brocken. Their occurrence is quite understandable. As it turned out, this is the most ordinary climber who is above the clouds at the top of the mountains. The sun shines on a person, and under the clouds, below, his huge shadow appears, which can scare or at least surprise anyone.

Northern lights

Now let's look at more positive various natural phenomena. We have all seen the polar, or northern lights, in pictures at one time or another, some were even lucky enough to see them with their own eyes in person. It is known that similar phenomena are observed near the Earth's poles.

Red waves

This name is given to the phenomenon that appears as a result of the bloom of various algae. Breeding freshwater or seaweed sometimes colors large areas of the beach or ocean in a rich red color. Basically, these plants are not dangerous, although there are also those that kill birds with their toxicity, also harm fish and people, but so far no deaths have been recorded.

Catatumbo Lightning

Around Venezuela you can also see rare natural phenomena. This is Katatunbo lightning. This natural phenomenon occurs continuously in one place for 160 nights per year. In one night, about 20,000 lightning strikes can be seen here. It is also interesting that their glow is practically not accompanied by a thunderclap. At night in these places the sky remains cloudless and clear, due to which they are also visible on the island of Aruba, located 500 km from here.

Ball lightning

This is a truly mysterious natural phenomenon. A dazzling fiery ball, reaching a diameter of several tens of centimeters, suddenly appears after a thunderstorm, after which it quietly floats in air currents above the ground. Ball lightning can be drop-shaped or pear-shaped, although it is energetically more advantageous for it to be in the shape of a ball.

Such a freely wandering, light charge can fall on any surface and slide along it without wasting energy. Many observers say that it tends to get into closed rooms, seeping through cracks and flying in through windows. In this case, lightning can temporarily take the form of a thin thread or cake, and then again turns into a ball. It periodically explodes when it collides with objects. Until now, the causes of natural phenomena such as ball lightning have not been fully studied. It is probably formed from oxygen and nitrogen in the channel of simple lightning and explodes when cooled to room temperature.

Penitentes

Such rare natural phenomena can be seen on various mountain glaciers. Penitentes received its name due to its resemblance to a number of monks dressed in white robes. It is formed due to the sun, which melts pits on the surface of the glacier. When the hole appears, sunlight It begins to reflect from it, due to which the gaps between the layers of snow increase. Soon large depressions form there, formed in the form of huge icy peaks, up to 5 meters high.

Mirages

Despite their prevalence, mirages always evoke an almost mystical sense of surprise. We know the reason for their appearance - overheated air changes the optical properties, thereby causing inhomogeneities of light, which are called mirages. This phenomenon has long been explained by science, but continues to amaze the imagination of many people. It should be noted that the visual effect is based on the unusual vertical distribution of air density. This, under certain conditions, leads to the appearance of ghostly images near the horizon. But you instantly forget these boring explanations when you yourself become a witness to this miracle appearing right before your eyes!

This article presented the most unusual natural phenomena, the photos of which are simply mesmerizing. Some phenomena are amenable to scientific explanation, while others are inexplicable. Some occur quite often, while others can be expected for years. But whatever one may say, they amaze and make you think once again about how unpredictable and wise nature is!

20. Lunar rainbow.

We are almost used to the usual rainbow. A lunar rainbow is a much rarer phenomenon than a rainbow that is visible in daylight. A lunar rainbow can only appear in places with high humidity and only when the Moon is almost full. The photo shows a moonbow at Cumberland Falls in Kentucky.

19. Mirages

Despite their prevalence, mirages always evoke an almost mystical sense of wonder. We all know the reason for the appearance of most mirages - overheated air changes its optical properties, causing light inhomogeneities called mirages.

Halos usually occur when high humidity or severe frost- Previously, the halo was considered a phenomenon from above, and people expected something unusual.

17. Belt of Venus

An interesting optical phenomenon that occurs when the atmosphere is dusty is an unusual “belt” between the sky and the horizon.

16. Pearl clouds

Unusually high clouds (about 10-12 km), becoming visible at sunset.

15. Northern lights.

Appears when high-energy collisions occur elementary particles upon collision with the Earth's ionosphere.

14. Colored Moon

When the atmosphere is dusty, high humidity, or for other reasons, the Moon sometimes appears colored. The red Moon is especially unusual.

13. Lenticular clouds

An extremely rare phenomenon, appearing mainly before a hurricane. Opened just 30 years ago. Also called Mammatus clouds.

12. St. Elmo's Fire.

A fairly common phenomenon caused by increased electric field strength before a thunderstorm, during a thunderstorm and immediately after. The first witnesses to this phenomenon were sailors who observed St. Elmo's lights on masts and other vertical pointed objects.

11. Fire whirlwinds.

They often form during fires - they can also appear over burning haystacks.

10. Mushroom clouds.

Also formed over places with elevated temperature- above forest fires, For example.

9. Light pillars.

The nature of these phenomena is similar to the conditions that cause the appearance of a halo.

8. Diamond dust.

Frozen water droplets scattering the light of the Sun.

7. Fish, frog and other rains.

One of the hypotheses explaining the appearance of such rains is a tornado that sucks out nearby bodies of water and carries their contents over long distances.

A phenomenon that occurs when ice crystals fall from clouds that do not reach the surface of the earth, evaporating along the way.

Hurricane winds have many names. They arise when air masses move from the upper layers to the lower ones.

4. Fire rainbow.

Occurs when passing sun rays through the high clouds.

3. Green beam.

An extremely rare phenomenon that occurs at sunset or sunrise.

2. Ball lightning.

There are many hypotheses explaining the origin of these phenomena, but none have been proven yet.

1. Optical flashes and jets

Only recently discovered due to their short existence (less than a second). Occurs when hurricanes occur.

You've probably heard about the oddities of our nature, but it's unlikely that you realized how strange and unusual it can be. Today we will introduce you to 25 of the most amazing natural phenomena and phenomena of our planet, from an incessant storm to a lake that can kill and turn animals into mummies.

25. Parhelium (solar dogs)

A parhelium, also known as a false sun, is an atmospheric phenomenon consisting of a pair of bright spots located on either side of the sun and often surrounded by a ring of light. This occurs as a result of the refraction of light in plate-like ice crystals found high in cirrus clouds or that occur in very cold weather.

24. Underwater crop circles


First discovered in 1995 off the coast of southern Japan, the underwater circles have posed a real mystery to scientists for quite some time. for a long time. It was only in 2011 that scientists finally solved this problem, learning that these strange figures with a diameter of 2 meters are nothing more than the creation of a tiny puffer fish.

23. Big blue hole


Many have seen photos of the Great Blue Hole in Belize, but few know about its real origin. The Great Blue Hole was a cave located on the mainland at a time when the level of the world's oceans was much lower than it is today. As sea levels rose, the cave was flooded. Today it is a hole more than 300 meters wide and about 124 meters deep.

22. Migration of red crabs on Christmas Island


Reaching a length of 12 centimeters, Christmas Island red crabs are an endemic species found only in Christmas Island and the Cocos Islands. Indian Ocean. Typically, these land-dwelling crabs usually live in underground burrows that they dig in local forests, but they migrate to the coast every year during mating season. For a whole week, local roads are covered with a red carpet of millions of crabs moving towards the coast.

21. Black Sun


When it comes to migration, one cannot fail to mention such a phenomenon as “ black Sun" Every March, more than a million starlings (medium-sized birds reaching 20 centimeters in length) begin to gather in southwestern Jutland, Denmark, in preparation for their April migration. Going to other places, they gather in huge “swarms”, which in Denmark received the name “black sun”.

20. Giant crystals


Located in the city of Naica, Mexico, the Cave of Crystals was opened in 2000, and since then has attracted many cavers and geologists from all over globe. The cave contains huge selenite crystals, some of which reach 12 meters in length. In addition, the cave is extremely hot. The temperature here reaches 58 degrees Celsius. On this moment The cave remains incompletely explored, but scientists have already learned that the approximate age of the crystals is 500,000 years.

19. Cobweb bedspreads


You've probably seen photos of fairly large cobwebs, but what you could see in the Australian town of Waga Waga a few years ago is incomparable to anything. Due to severe flooding, local spiders had to leave their homes. To escape from the ever-rising flows of water, they took a move that surprised all biologists: the spiders wove a huge web of hundreds of thousands of smaller networks, creating a giant platform that allowed them to escape from death.

18. Catatumbo Lightning


This phenomenon is also known as a persistent storm. Catatumbo lightning is unique atmospheric phenomenon, which occurs at the mouth of the Catatumbo River, Venezuela. The source of this storm is thunderclouds, located at an altitude of 5 kilometers. The storm here lasts 160 nights a year, 10 hours a day.

17. Large prismatic source


Grand Prismatic Spring is located in Yellowstone national park and is the largest in the United States, as well as the third largest in the world. Such bright colors it is given by special bacteria that live in mineral waters this source. The dimensions of the source are 80 by 90 meters, and its depth reaches 50 meters. 2,100 liters of water at a temperature of 70 degrees Celsius erupt from it per minute.

16. Moeraki Boulders


Moeraki Boulders are large spherical stones located along the coast Pacific Ocean in New Zealand. According to local Maori legend, these boulders are the remains of food baskets. Research by scientists has shown that the stones themselves consist of mud, fine silt and clay with calcite. They were formed during the Paleocene period (66-56 million years ago).

15. Basalt columns


Basalt is a common extrusive volcanic rock that forms when basaltic lava cools rapidly. Basalt rocks can come in a variety of shapes, but one of the most common is the columnar shape. Millions of years ago they were only integral part an ordinary lava plateau, but time and erosion have had a hand in creating the most amazing basalt landscapes.

14. Landscapes of Danxia


These unique geomorphological landscapes can be found in some areas of northeast, southwest and northwest China. Danxia's topography is mostly red and its amazing shapes have been sculpted by wind, sun and rain for millions of years, creating breathtaking landscapes from limestone and sandstone.

13. Bioluminescence


Bioluminescence is the production and emission of light by living organisms. One of the most amazing examples of this unusual natural phenomenon is the bioluminescence of phytoplankton called dinoflagellates on Vaadhoo Island, Maldives.

12. Sardine run


We have already mentioned two examples of unusual mass migrations, but neither of them compares to the so-called sardine run. Almost every year, from May to July, billions of sardines migrate north along east coast South Africa, providing numerous predators with the opportunity to profit from easy prey. Despite the enormous scale of this migration, scientists know not much about it. To be precise, the only thing that has been learned about them over the past 23 years is that during this period of time, sardines only missed migration three times.

11. Ant circles


Most ants move based on information received by their eyes, but in some cases, ants rely only on a special trail left by the pheromones of other ants. If an ant loses such a trail, it immediately becomes disoriented and begins to run in circles until it dies from exhaustion. Sometimes this phenomenon is widespread, and the circles are up to 300 meters in diameter.

10. Living stone


Their scientific name- Pyura chilensis. Live rocks are shelled marine invertebrates native to the coasts of Chile and Peru. What appears to be a mass of entrails inside a rock is actually a stationary organism that feeds on microorganisms it filters from seawater. For some reasons unclear to science, living stones contain 10 million times more vanadium (an extremely rare chemical element) than is found on average in sea water.

9. Lenticular clouds


Lenticular clouds appearing in the troposphere are one of the rarest and... They are formed when moist air bends around an obstacle (for example, a mountain) and accumulates around it. Due to their unique shape, these unique clouds are sometimes even mistaken for UFOs.

8. Rain of Animals


There are numerous cases in the world where rain from a mass of various animals fell from the sky. In the summer of 2000, fish rained down from the sky in Ethiopia. In June 2009, it rained frogs in Japan, and in 2007, it rained snakes in Argentina. Most of these rains are associated with tornadoes and other similar hurricanes, which can lift and carry away even small bodies of water.

7. Mummifying Lake


Located in the northern part of Tanzania, is salt lake with a huge amount of sodium impurities. It is widely known thanks to its extremely high level salt and extremely high temperatures, which in summer here can reach 60 degrees Celsius. And although some animals were able to adapt to the harshness of the lake, most of animals and birds that wander here by mistake find their death in its waters and turn into real mummies.

6. Rainbow Eucalyptus


Known scientifically as rainbow eucalyptus, this plant can reach a width of 1.8 meters and a height of 61 meters. The tree is notable for its unique multi-colored bark.

5. Ice Storm


Few things compare to the weirdness of the weather. An ice storm, for example, is a type of winter storm that is characterized by freezing rain. Frozen precipitation, flying through a warm air mass, turns into rain, which freezes, flying through cold air masses, becoming covered with a thick ice crust. One of the most memorable ice storms of modern times struck Geneva, Switzerland in January 2005.

4. Snow chimneys


This phenomenon is similar to fumaroles (cracks and holes in earth's crust emitting steam and gases). Snow chimneys in general are the remnants of small snow-capped volcanoes located in many Arctic regions. Immediately after the steam and gases leave them, the holes freeze and become covered with a thick layer of snow, turning volcanoes into snow chimneys.

3. Fire whirlwinds


Also known as fire tornadoes And fire tornadoes, these vortices typically revolve around their core, where temperatures can reach 1090 degrees Celsius, usually enough to re-ignite ash blown from the earth's surface. One of these vortices was observed in Australia in 2003 during bush fires in the vicinity of Canberra, then the diameter of the vortex crater was about 500 meters.

2. Moving stones


Also known as sliding or crawling rocks, moving rocks are a mysterious geological phenomenon. The stones slowly move along the valley on their own, leaving winding paths behind them. The origin of this phenomenon is currently shrouded in mystery, but scientists suggest that such movements may be caused by strong winds, which push rocks and cause them to slide across wet clay and soil. The heaviest stones here weigh about 320 kilograms.

1. Wave of Vice


The Pororoca Wave is a 4 meter high tidal wave that travels 800 kilometers up the Amazon River. The Pororoca Wave is the longest wave in the world, occurring only twice a year between February and March, when tidal waves from the Atlantic Ocean reach the mouth of the Amazon. And although surfing on this wave is quite dangerous due to huge amount river garbage, this sport has become quite popular among local residents.

Most of us have only seen these natural phenomena in films or on the Discovery Channel. I represent detailed description with photographs of the most incredible natural phenomena. You can read about the phenomena that I talked about earlier by clicking here.
1. Water bloom: we looked at neon lakes in more detail


When the ocean, air and temperature conditions allow, ocean phytoplankton reproduce quite quickly, creating a thick visible layer on its surface. This phenomenon, called a water bloom, is quite unsightly during the day, but in parts of California and other places where bioluminescent nocturnal lights are present, the water bloom is a truly spectacular sight. This species of phytoplankton glows blue when agitated, turning the dark ocean into a giant lava lamp. You can watch the waves begin to glow as they hit, scattering across the sand, and the ground begins to shine under your feet, and if you dive under the water, you will see an amazing glow in all its glory.

2. Bioluminescence


Bioluminescence does not only occur in water. At the end of summer, a supernatural glow can be seen in many forests around the world, where bioluminescent mushrooms grow on damp, rotting bark. Bioluminescence can be observed in different corners light, but greatest variety found in the tropics, where forest humidity encourages fungal growth. New variety glow-in-the-dark mushrooms were discovered in Sao Paulo in Brazil. If you want to admire this phenomenon, plan to go into the forest during the wettest period and head away from light sources that can dim the faint glow.

3. Fire Rainbow


Another natural phenomenon that occurs in the summer is called a fire rainbow, which occurs when sunlight hits frozen ice crystals in cirrus clouds at high altitude. Since there is no rain during a fire rainbow, scientists prefer to call it a more accurate name: a near-horizontal arc. Since this phenomenon requires the presence of cirrus clouds, and the sun must be very high in the sky, it can be observed more often at latitudes closer to the equator. In Los Angeles, conditions allow you to observe a fire rainbow six months a year, and in London for about two months.

4. Mother of pearl clouds


For those of us far from the equator, there are still plenty of reasons to watch the sky. Pearlescent clouds are a fairly rare occurrence, but most often appear when it is still dark outside before dawn or after sunset. Due to extremely high altitude they reflect sunlight from below the horizon, glowing brightly for those viewing them from below. The lower stratosphere, where nacreous clouds are found, is so dry that it often prevents clouds from forming, but the harsh cold of the polar nights makes it possible to see this most beautiful phenomenon. You can see pearlescent clouds in winter at high latitudes, such as in Iceland, Alaska, Northern Canada and very rarely in the UK.

5. Snow rollers


Snow rollers form when a thick layer of snow falls on top of the ice. At certain temperatures and wind speeds, pieces of snow can break free and begin to swirl. As they roll across the ground like winter tumbleweeds, they pick up additional snow along the way. The inner layers tend to be more fragile, allowing the wind to easily blow them away, leaving behind large, natural snow donuts. Since a certain temperature and wind speed are needed to create this effect, snow rollers are a rare phenomenon, but they can be seen in North America and in the UK.

6. Basalt columns


A natural volcanic formation, the basalt columns look as if they were made by man. Hexagonal columns are formed naturally when a thick layer of lava cools rapidly, shrinking and creating cracks on the surface of new rocks. Unusual geological formations can be seen all over the world. Most striking examples basalt columns is the Giant's Causeway in Ireland and National Monument Devil's Postpile in California.

7. Rain of animals: we looked at it in more detail


While in the small town of Yoro in Honduras every year the Fish Rain Festival is held, actual eyewitnesses this phenomenon still quite small. However, in general, this phenomenon has been reported in different parts of the world for many centuries. Most cases of animals falling from the sky involved fish, frogs, or small aquatic animals, although there has been evidence of birds, mice, and even pieces of meat falling from the sky. Although this phenomenon is extremely rare, most cases are easily explained. The most obvious explanation is waterspouts, in which a whirlwind lifts small animals from the water, carrying them long distances until they land on your head. If you want to witness the rain of animals, then you should go to places close to water during large storms.

8. Wavy clouds


The newly discovered cloud formations, so-called wavy clouds (Asperatus clouds), are so rare that they were not classified until 2009. Ominous and stormy, these clouds disintegrate rather quickly before they can cause a storm. As with most wavy cloud types, these clouds form when vortices or oncoming air masses mercilessly whip up the lower layers of clouds, resulting in bizarre shapes and formations. These clouds are more common on the plains in the United States and can be observed in the morning or mid-afternoon during thunderstorms.

9. Green beam


The famous and elusive Green Ray is a rare meteorological phenomenon that occurs during sunrise and sunset. During these periods, the sun's light passes through large layers of the atmosphere, creating a prism effect. Of course, this explanation is not as exciting as sea ​​legends that surround this phenomenon. But you can consider yourself lucky if you were able to observe this phenomenon. To see the green ray, try watching the sun rise or set on the horizon on a clear day. Ocean or prairie horizons work best for this purpose. The green beam only lasts for a split second, so don't blink. In my opinion, this is very similar to the return of the soul from other world in the film "Pirates of the Coribus: At World's End"

10. False sun


When the sun is near the horizon and there are ice crystals in the air, you may see several light rainbow spots on either side of the sun. Always to the right and left of the sun along the horizon, these halos faithfully follow the sun across the sky. While this atmospheric phenomenon can happen anytime, anywhere, the effect is usually quite vague. When sunlight passes through cirrus clouds at the right angle, these spots become as bright as the sun. The false sun can be seen most clearly when the sun is low in the sky in colder areas where there are many ice crystals in the sky.

11.Double Rainbow


The same forces that lead to the formation of a regular rainbow can also lead to the creation of a double rainbow. Sometimes, sunlight is reflected in raindrops not once, but twice, resulting in the creation of a second rainbow that lies behind the brighter first rainbow. It is best to observe this phenomenon when the sky is still dark and filled with clouds, as dark background allows you to see the more vague colors of the second rainbow.

12.Striped icebergs


Icebergs, as a rule, are not monochromatic. Some icebergs in the polar regions are distinguished by stripes of color, standing out among the Arctic whites and blues. When water on an iceberg melts and refreezes, dirt and other particles can become trapped between the new layers of ice, causing colored streaks to form on their surface. Icebergs may show multiple colored bands. Blue streaks appear when water gets between layers of ice and freezes so quickly that air bubbles don't have time to form. When an iceberg breaks up and falls into the ocean, algae and other materials present in the water can cause green and yellow streaks to appear.

13. Catatumbo Lightning


Enough mysterious phenomenon, Catatumbo lightning in Venezuela is known for its long duration discharges. These continuous lightning bolts can be seen from a distance and have often been noted for their ability to aid sailors in navigation. Since Catatumbo lightning appears about 140-160 nights a year, you have a good chance of seeing it. They occur mainly in one place - above the confluence of the Catatumbo River around Lake Maracaibo.

14. Gravitational wave


Waves occur not only in the water, but also in the sky. When air is pushed upward by a more stable layer of the atmosphere, it can cause a ripple effect, much like what happens when you throw a rock into a pond. For a gravitational wave to occur, there must be a disturbance in the atmosphere, such as the updraft of air from a thunderstorm. By latest research, gravitational waves can concentrate and intensify tornadoes, so if you are lucky enough to see one, you should first take care of shelter.

15. Moeraki Boulders


The Moeraki Boulders are spherical stones that were naturally excavated from mudstone, a dense clayey rock on the New Zealand coast. People discovered these giants due to erosion, but they acquired their spherical shape for a different reason. The boulders are thought to have formed millions of years ago on the ocean floor, just as pearls formed in oysters - layers of sedimentary rocks and materials crystallized around a central core. Over millions of years, they have acquired huge size that we can see today. The Moeraki boulders were found on south coast in New Zealand, but they can also be seen in various areas of South America.

Nature is amazing and multifaceted. Some of its phenomena are not amenable to any scientific theories and explanations. A person can only admire what he sees.

Northern lights

The Northern Lights are an unusual glow that is formed due to the interaction of the upper layers of the atmosphere with charged particles from the sun. The higher its activity, the greater the likelihood of radiance. An amazing sight can only be observed at high latitudes, near the poles. The duration of the northern lights is from two to three hours to several days.

Falling stars

At night, in clear weather, you can often observe luminous points moving quickly across the sky. And although they are called shooting stars, they are just small rocks, particles of matter. A bright flash occurs as they invade earth's atmosphere. At certain periods of the year, meteors fall in a continuous stream. This phenomenon is called “star rain”.

Ball lightning

One of the most mysterious natural phenomena. Such lightning has the shape of a ball, but sometimes its outline can resemble a pear, a drop or a mushroom. The color is most often warm shades - orange, yellow, red, but can be black or transparent. The dimensions of ball lightning also vary over a fairly wide range - from 5-6 cm to several meters. Ball lightning is characterized by unpredictable behavior and short duration of action - usually only a few seconds.

Halo

Halo is a common phenomenon. A circle of light around the sun in mid-latitudes can occur once every few days. The appearance of a halo has, unlike many others unusual phenomena, scientific explanation. The circle of light is formed as a result of the refraction of the sun's rays in ice crystals contained in the clouds. In addition to luminous circles, “false suns” may appear on either side of the sun.

Mother of pearl clouds

Mother of pearl clouds are an extremely rare phenomenon. They are formed at an altitude of 15 -25 km in the cold parts of the stratosphere. These thin transparent clouds, painted in pearlescent colors, cannot be confused with anything else. You can watch them in northern countries either just after sunset or before sunrise.

Lenticular clouds

These clouds are often shaped like a flying saucer. They look like a biconvex lens. Often formed before a hurricane. Scientists believe that unusual shape clouds are explained by ice crystals that form under the influence external factors(for example, emissions from a passing aircraft).

Fish and frog rains

Precipitation from living creatures is not such a rare occurrence. In ancient times it was explained simply - as a gift or punishment from the gods. Modern scientists tend to see the reason in tornadoes or tornadoes, which first lift living creatures into the air and then transport them over long distances. But it is not clear why frogs and fish fall in a strictly limited area.