Unusual phenomenon: "three suns" appear in the sky

Videos circulating on social media from the northeastern state of Piaui, Brazil, showcase a mind-boggling phenomenon: the appearance of three suns in the sky. Similar unique sightings were captured two days prior in Sweden.

Werton Costa, a Brazilian meteorologist, confirms that three sources of light were visible in the sky on Wednesday, November 20. Only one of these was the actual sun, while the other two were secondary suns, that is, reflections of the sun.

"Three suns? A rare phenomenon recorded by Parnaiba's locals," read the caption under the recording, posted on the Meio Norte profile on platform X. It was in the city of Parnaiba that this celestial spectacle could be observed with ease, thanks to clear skies.

The Brazilian meteorologist explained that the phenomenon seen over Parnaiba is an optical effect that often appears early in the morning or late in the afternoon, shortly before sunset, when the sun is low above the horizon.

"A parhelion, also known as a secondary sun, is like a solar halo." It forms when sunlight is refracted by clouds containing high ice crystals, resulting in a similar effect to that of a rainbow," the Brazilian forecaster explained. This causes bright, semi-circular beams of light to appear on both sides of the sun, roughly at the same distance from it.

Earlier this week, photographs of the same phenomenon were shared on social media in Sweden, a country currently experiencing harsh winter conditions, with air temperatures plunging to as low as -22 degrees Fahrenheit.

The photos were taken by Johnna Johannson, Goran Strand, Kristina Stark, and Anna Karin, and posted on the Facebook page of the Lubuskie Storm Hunters. The images drew numerous admiring comments. "Nature is amazing. This is beautiful!", "Absolutely fairy-tale-like and beautiful", "Such a beautiful photo and an amazing view", "Looks like a portal to another dimension" - are some of the marveling comments.