3 mesmerising light phenomena from around the world 

Are you fond of watching light and sound shows in museums, gardens, and planetariums? Well, they can be quite fascinating. Take for instance, the one at the Bhul Bhulaiya in Lucknow, or the Lotus Temple in Delhi, or the Brindavan Garden in Mysore – all are famous for their light and sound shows. These are artificial shows. What about the natural light shows like the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) of Norway? They are simply mesmerising. There are many more natural light phenomena that happen around the world, the impact of which are no less than magical. Today, let us explore a few of them.  

Blue Grotto, Italy 
If you ever get a chance to visit Italy, do not forget to go to the island of Capri in the southern part of the country. Why? Because that is where Blue Grotto’s dream-like light phenomenon is located. Okay, but what exactly is Blue Grotto? It refers to a cave in the middle of the sea. As it happens, during the daytime, sunlight passes through an underwater cavity and shines through the water; thus creating a exotic blue reflection that lights up the entire cave. Due to this unusual light phenomenon, ancient Roman emperor Tiberius had dedicated the cave to sea nymphs and their mysterious activities and even used it as a personal swimming pool and marine temple. Likewise, sailors and explorers throughout history have often avoided the cave as they feared it was the secret home of sea monsters, until it was scientifically explained by scientists and opened for public in 1964. 

Fire Falls, USA 
Every year, on the event of vernal equinox, the Horsetail Falls in California’s Yosemite National Park is illuminated by a strange and mesmerising natural light phenomenon. It is called Fire Falls and was first detected in 1872 on the side of the famous El Capitan rock formation. As it happens, burning hot embers trickles down the face of the cliff and gives a bright orange glow. In fact, from a distance, it seems like fire is spilling down the waterfall instead of water. Legends have it that it is a secret tribe that conducts the firefall without anyone else knowing. However, scientists suggest that with the onset of spring, two of the volcanic craters located in the region, namely Mono Craters and the Inyo Craters temporarily become active and spits hot lava. But since they are ancient volcanoes, the effect lasts for a short span.  

Naga Fireballs, Thailand 
Every year during the fall season, glowing reddish balls of fire of varying sizes become visible on the Mekong River, rising up to 100 metres in the air. What’s fascinating is that the fireballs appear, explode in the air and then disappear, all within a few moments. In Thai, the phenomenon is known as “Bung Fai Paya Nak” that literally translates to Naga Fireballs. The light phenomenon occurs during the full moon of late autumn (read late October), towards the end of Buddhist Lent festival. In fact, natives believe it is the Buddhist mythical serpent Naga that haunts the river and breathes fire into it.  

However, scientists believe that it is a naturally occurring event where flammable phosphine gas builds up on the riverbed, that peaks in October. Others even believe the fireballs are nothing but methane bubbles erupting below the river’s surface. Whichever it may be, one thing is for sure, it is quite a light show from Mother Nature!