Mongolia: A rare heavenly phenomenon occurred over the sky in Mongolia which gave the fantasy of three suns in a horizontal row.
As per the phenomenon, the real sun was in the center with reflections on either side.
The phenomenon popularly known as anthelion, occurs when sunlight in the high sky passes through snow crystals in the air.
Scientists at a local meteorological center said that an anthelion can be happened when there are temperatures lower than minus 30 degree Celsius and if the air is filled with clouds, vapor and ice crystals.
The bright reflections which appear on either side the of sun are also known also as sun-dogs or mock suns because they stand with the Sun as the dog stands with its owner.
Sun-dogs are formed as the sunlight gets refracted by hexagonal plate-like ice crystals having diameters larger than 30 micrometers and when their flat faces get horizontally oriented.
Sun-dogs are visible when the sun is near the horizon and at the same, it should be in horizontal plane with the observer and the ice crystals.
As sunlight passes through the ice crystals, it bents by 22 degrees before it reaches to the eyes of the observer.
This bending of light results in the formation of a Sun-dog.
Video on the appearance of three suns in the Mongolian sky
