Out of this world: 'Two suns' spotted in China defy explanation - Polidicks

[url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41927089/ns/technology_and_science-space/]Source[/url] [release][quote][tab]A still from a video that purportedly shows "two suns" setting in China. One scientist suspects the apparition could be an optical illusion at sunset, rather than an all-out hoax.[/tab][img]http://msnbcmedia1.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Components/Photo/_new/110305_tch_China_two_suns.grid-6x2.jpg[/img][/quote] Weeks after a story shot across the Web claiming that the imminent explosion of a nearby star would result in the appearance of a second sun in the sky — a story that was later debunked — two suns were caught on camera yesterday in China. The suns — one fuzzy and orange, the other a crisp yellow orb — appeared side-by-side, one slightly higher than the other. What's going on? Life's Little Mysteries, a sister site to Space.com, asked Jim Kaler, the University of Illinois astronomer who [url=http://www.lifeslittlemysteries.com/will-betelgeuse-really-become-second-sun-1260/]squelched the excitement[/url] over the aforementioned exploding Betelgeuse and who has written books on the day and night sky. The double sun image is an effect of optical refraction, Kaler said, but it's a "pretty darn rare" one, and one not fully explained by science. "I doubt it's been computer modeled," he said. "There must have been some blob of atmosphere somewhere that caused this truly spectacular phenomenon, which in a sense is a mirage." [[url=http://ww.space.com/30-amazing-sun-photos-space.html]Amazing Sun Photos From Space[/url]] [url=http://www.lifeslittlemysteries.com/what-is-a-mirage-0533/]Mirages appear[/url] when particles in the atmosphere refract, or bend, light. This typically happens near the horizon, where air is thicker, though, and mirages are usually aligned vertically above or below the original source of the light — not beside it, like in the video. It's possible, Kaler said, that an unusually thick patch of atmosphere wandered in front of the sun to create the unusual effect. Previous sightings of horizontally-aligned double images of the sun and moon are recorded in a book called "Light and Color in the Outdoors" (English edition: Springer 1993) by the famous Flemish astronomer Marcel Minnaert, which remains the most complete reference on double suns. "So many other instances have been reported that there is no longer any doubt about ... observations of sun and mock sun(s) being at exactly the same altitude," Minnaert wrote. "The case of a mock sun 3 degrees and 25 arc-seconds to the left of the nearly set sun sounds incredible but has been recorded photographically." Indeed, Minnaert's description sounds nearly identical to the scene in question. He goes on to state that the double or multiple image phenomena are produced by abnormal refraction, but that "it remains extraordinary that the images of the sun and moon were sharp and of the same size as the real sun and moon." To check whether more has been learned about the double sun effect since the time of Minnaert's writing, [url=http://www.lifeslittlemysteries.com/]Life's Little Mysteries[/url] consulted several atmospheric optics experts. None of them had ever seen anything quite like the effect shown in the video. "This is not a common optical phenomenon that we're seeing here," said Grant Perry, an atmospheric scientist at the University of Wisconsin Cooperative Institute for Satellite and Meteorological Studies. "I'm asking myself if this is an artifact of the lens, but if that were the case — if it's reflections of the lens elements — then the images would move in relation to each other as the camera moves," Perry said. "But that doesn't happen." In terms of an optical explanation, he said, "You would have to assume it is particles of ice or something in the atmosphere aligned in such a way that they would refract the sunlight at that very small angle, but only in one direction. It would require some fairly peculiar characteristics." Several related [url=http://www.space.com/716-mysteries-sun.html]atmospheric optical effects[/url] are fully explained by science. Sun dogs, sunset mirages, sun pillars and sun halos are all relatively common and well understood. But not this effect. "It's very intriguing," said Kaler.[/release] "It's very intriguing," said Kaler... Very intriguing indeed :wtc:

It's the fucking sun. If they see it, we should all be able to see it. Edit: Disagree? How the hell can a sun be visible to one side of the planet? You guys didn't read my post right.

Chinese missile test gone badly?

Swamp gas.

They are here.

Weather baloon

Weather Balloon. Edit: :suicide:

Any images taken by ordianry people with good cameras?

It's swamp gas, calling it now. [editline]7th March 2011[/editline] fuuuuu Badal :arghfist::saddowns:

[QUOTE=Olas;28478510]They are here.[/QUOTE] :tinfoil:

[url]http://gizmodo.com/#!5777853/science-reason-explain-why-a-second-sun-appeared-over-china-this-week[/url]

[img]http://www.foxnews.com/images/273270/0_61_070329_skywalker.jpg[/img]

[QUOTE=The mouse;28478630][img_thumb]http://www.foxnews.com/images/273270/0_61_070329_skywalker.jpg[/img_thumb][/QUOTE] Every time someone posts that damn image I have to go play Jedi Academy and watch the films. I love starwars.

[QUOTE=MIPS;28478487]It's the fucking sun. If they see it, we should all be able to see it.[/QUOTE] The whole point of this article is that it was a local effect.

[QUOTE=sp00ks;28478618][URL="http://gizmodo.com/#%215777853/science-reason-explain-why-a-second-sun-appeared-over-china-this-week"]http://gizmodo.com/#!5777853/science-reason-explain-why-a-second-sun-appeared-over-china-this-week[/URL][/QUOTE] [quote]It was just a mirage, most likely created by the smog of industry that grows wildly within China with each passing day.[/quote] :cawg:

If it actually was the sun, wouldn't it cast sunrays on the lense?

I've read that water particles in the atmosphere can reflect the sunlight and create the illusion of multiple suns, on that picture it just looks like a hurricane shaped cloud in front of the sun :v:

Hahahaha... Defies explanation... Didn't Giz post an explanation of it a few days ago? And it's not Betelgeuse going supernova. We'll see that soon enough.

Couldn't it just be the cloud in the way?

It's a mirage or a cloud. Plus, the 'suns' look more elliptical than circular. I'm going with the "Oh no! A cloud!" theory, although it's just as likely, if not more likely, a mirage.

[img]http://i.ytimg.com/vi/7wJDI67VQFo/0.jpg[/img] just rollin' on his cloud, nothing to see here folks

I read about a place somewhere in africa where you can see two moons every few years, maybe it's a similar mirage

Already confirmed to be a fucking mirage.

[QUOTE=Fatfatfatty;28478799]If it actually was the sun, wouldn't it cast sunrays on the lense?[/QUOTE] smog in the way

It's just an edited version of Top Gun. Nothing to see here.

[QUOTE=The mouse;28478630][img_thumb]http://www.foxnews.com/images/273270/0_61_070329_skywalker.jpg[/img_thumb][/QUOTE] I always hear that soundtrack that plays in that scene, and I don't even like Star Wars :ohdear:

Probably from the outrageous mix of toxic shit China pumps into the atmosphere 24/7.

[QUOTE=Badal;28478497]Swamp gas.[/QUOTE] It probably WAS all the smog reflecting and/or exploding from the sunlight...

[QUOTE=Mr. Agree;28480675]I always hear that soundtrack that plays in that scene, and I don't even like Star Wars :ohdear:[/QUOTE] I was just about to post the exact same thing! Gosh I just sang the whole thing. [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEUGF3NGbPg&feature=related[/media]

[QUOTE=Benlecyborg;28478543]It's an ARG! CHECK THE FILES! :eng101:[/QUOTE] Super 8. :tinfoil: