There’s no doubt that the Earth is extraordinary at ground level, but some of its most breathtaking events occur far above us. Natural sky phenomena are scientifically documented atmospheric, astronomical, and electromagnetic events that take place in Earth’s skies and near-space environment. Many of these phenomena—studied extensively by organizations such as NASA, ESA, and national meteorological agencies—are visible to the naked eye under the right conditions. From auroras to green flashes, from volcanic lightning to shooting stars, here’s a curated list of 15 spectacular natural sky phenomena, explaining what they are, how they form, where they are seen, and when they occur.
Table of Contents
Spectacular Sky Phenomena That Must Be Experienced
It’s a fascinating world above us, sometimes the sky is a thick blanket of fog, sometimes it is a sober grey and
sometimes it is bright and clear. When sunlight, ice crystals, rain droplets, atmospheric gases, and Earth’s magnetic field interact, a wide range of optical, electrical, and astronomical phenomena are produced. Join us as we take you through some of the best natural sky phenomena the world has ever seen.
1. Circumhorizontal Arcs (Fire Rainbows)
Circumhorizontal Arcs are natural sky phenomena where rainbow‑like bands of color appear near the horizon. Despite their name, they have nothing to do with fire or rain.
Type: Atmospheric optical phenomenon
How They Form: When sunlight hits ice crystals in cirrus clouds that are very high in the sky.
Visible In: Mid-latitude regions
When: Late Spring and Summer Months
2. Lenticular Clouds
Lenticular clouds are stationary, lens-shaped clouds that form at high altitudes and are often mistaken for UFOs.
Type: Atmospheric cloud formation
How They Form: Moist air flowing over mountains or tall structures creates standing waves where condensation occurs.
Visible In: Mountainous regions worldwide
When: Most common in winter and spring
3. Light Pillars
Light pillars appear as vertical columns of light extending upward or downward from a light source.
Type: Luminous optical phenomenon
How They Form: Reflection of light from various small ice crystals suspended in the cold air.
Visible In: Russia, Canada, and Finland
When: Below-freezing conditions
4. Monarch Butterflies
The annual migration of monarch butterflies is one of the most amazing biological sky phenomena on Earth. No individual butterfly lives through the whole migration, with female monarchs laying eggs and their offspring continuing the migrations.
Type: Biological migration phenomenon
How They Form: Butterflies migrate south, guided by environmental cues and solar orientation.
Visible In: North America
When: Autumn months
5. Catatumbo Lightning
Catatumbo lightning is a unique atmospheric phenomenon known for its extraordinary frequency and intensity.
Type: Atmospheric electrical phenomenon
How They Form: Warm moist air collides with cool wind from the mountains, creating persistent electrical storms.
Visible In: Lake Maracaibo basin, Venezuela
When: Up to 260 nights per year
6. Mammatus Clouds
The mammary clouds are a rare pouch‑like formations that hang beneath larger clouds.
Type: Severe weather cloud formation
How They Form: Cool air sinks into warmer air and is often associated with severe thunderstorms.
Visible In: Worldwide
When: Typically, after severe storms
7. Sundog (Mock Sun)
A sundog, also known as a “mock sun” is a natural phenomena in sky where bright spots appear on either side of the sun. It is more frequent than many of the other natural sky phenomena.
Type: Atmospheric optical phenomenon
How They Form: They occur due to the refraction of sunlight through icy clouds.
Visible In: Himalayas and Inner Mongolia
When: Winter, when it is very cold
8. Auroras (Northern and Southern Lights)
Auroras, also known as the polar lights are luminous curtains of color dancing across polar skies. They are continuously monitored by space agencies, as auroras are directly linked to space weather and solar activities.
Type: Atmospheric astronomical phenomenon
How They Form: When electrically charged particles released from the sun enter the earth’s atmosphere and collide with gases in the air.
Visible In: Arctic and Antarctic regions
When: Dark winter months during increased solar activity
Also Read: When and Where To See the Northern Lights
9. Nacreous Clouds (Mother-of-Pearl Clouds)
Nacreous Clouds, also known as polar stratospheric clouds, are rare clouds that glow with an iridescent sheen. Despite their rarity, these clouds are studied closely to understand their role in stratospheric chemical reactions.
Type: Polar stratospheric cloud phenomenon
How They Form: The setting sun lies lower than the clouds, creating a colorful iridescent shine as they reflect sunbeams back.
Visible In: Polar regions where the air is cold and dry.
When: Twilight hours of winter
10. Volcanic Lightning (Dirty Thunderstorms)
Volcanic lightning occurs when lightning is generated during explosive volcanic eruptions.
Type: Geological–atmospheric phenomenon
How They Form: Ash picks up extra friction, creating static electricity that creates spectacular lightning.
Visible In: Active volcanic regions
When: Major volcanic eruptions in the night
11. Starling Murmurations
Starling Murmurations, often termed the “black sun,” occur when thousands of birds fly together in synchronized patterns.
Type: Biological sky phenomenon
How They Form: When thousands of birds fly in co-ordinated movement to avoid predators and enhance group communication.
Visible In: Europe, especially in the UK
When: Late autumn and winter
12. Halos And Fogbows
Halos and fogbows are circular light displays surrounding the Sun or Moon.
Type: Atmospheric optical phenomenon
How They Form: Light refracts through ice crystals or tiny fog droplets.
Visible In: Worldwide
When: Cold or foggy conditions
13. Green Flash
The green flash is a rare sky phenomenon where a brief burst of green light is seen at the Sun’s edge.
Type: Optical atmospheric phenomenon
How They Form: The sun’s rays are bent by the Earth’s atmosphere to form a colorful haze on the horizon.
Visible In: Ocean horizons and flat landscapes
When: Just after sunset or before sunrise
14. Moonbows (Lunar Rainbows)
Moonbows are rainbows created by moonlight rather than the usual sunlight.
Type: Optical phenomenon
How They Form: Light from the moon reflects and refracts through water droplets in the sky.
Visible In: Near waterfalls under full moon conditions
When: Full moon nights with dark skies
15. Shooting Stars (Meteors)
Shooting stars are actually not stars but small pieces of rock or dust hitting Earth’s atmosphere from space. Chances of seeing this natural phenomenon in the sky is very high.
Type: Astronomical phenomenon
How They Form: When meteoroids enter the earth’s atmosphere at high speed, the friction causes them to heat up and glow.
Visible In: Worldwide
When: Frequent during meteor showers
Final Words
The sky above is like a living canvas where optical illusions, night sky phenomena and astronomical events unfold their magic. Getting to witness them not only inspires awe but also help us understand Earth’s atmosphere and how we are connected to the universe above. Hence, make sure to add some of these spectacular natural phenomena in the world to your bucket list.
FAQs
Some of the top global destinations for sky-watching natural phenomena are NamibRand Nature Reserve (Namibia), Death Valley National Park (USA), Canary Islands (Spain), Aoraki Mackenzie Dark Sky Reserve (New Zealand), Ladakh & Spiti Valley (India).
Since blue light has the shortest wavelengths, it is scattered more than any other colors. This is the reason why we see a blue sky at all times. Red light has the longest wavelength and violet and blue light have the shortest wavelengths.
The most beautiful of all the phenomenon is the appearance of the rainbow in the sky. Even though there are infinite colors in a rainbow the cells in our eyes can see only Red, Green, orange and Blue colors.
As confirmed by NASA, the blue super moons are the rarest sky phenomenon. The blue moon appears once every ten years due to astronomical conditions. Sometimes the intervals of their appearance can be as long as twenty years too. Hence the famous phrase “once in a blue moon”.
Key factors that increase your chances for witnessing the auroras are clear skies, total darkness, and the right geographical location.
Visiting Amboseli national park in Kenya, we saw a vertical rainbow under a thunderhead on the western sky in the hour before sunset.
wow ive seen 7 of these in real life.
Beautiful clouds
I am looking to find some kind of a phenomenon that happened in the sky over Russia, and it was like a painting, and is referred to sometimes as God’s painting in the sky. I had a message written in the clouds in German language. This happened a long time ago. Maybe in during a war/. It is mentioned in an article written in the l970s. Do you know about this?