Nine Pillars Of Light Appear In Night Sky In 'Otherworldly' Display

Recently, nine streaks of light mysteriously lit up Japan's skies, leaving many residents utterly baffled.

This unusual phenomenon occurred on May 11, prompting an excited flurry of photos on social media.

One particularly striking image taken at Mikuriya Port in Daisen Town, Japan, captures the bright lights standing out sharply against the dark clouds.

The image was resembling a scene straight out of the movie *Signs*.

"A streak of light was spotted in the sky above Mikuriya Port in Daisen Town, Tottori at around 10 pm today," penned the X user who captured the mesmerizing photo.

Responding to this, another user shared their experience with a picture, saying, "I also saw it at Nariishi Beach in Kotoura Town."

Nine light pillars light up parts of Japan's skies earlier this month. @maashii_taiyo/X

The unusual light display left many people in absolute awe.

"It's mysterious and wonderful," gushed one person, adding, "I want to see it with my own eyes."

Another user wrote, "It's like an entrance to a mysterious world", while numerous others hailed the images as 'amazing'.

However, some found the display more unsettling. One person remarked, "Wow... that's scary."

Another suggested, "What is this!? It feels like you might be abducted by aliens."

A third added, "The sight of the light makes the area appear to be under attack."

Despite its strikingly otherworldly appearance, the explanation for this light phenomenon is actually quite ordinary.

The light display is caused by something known as 'Isaribi Kochu'. @totoro8201/X

A similar event occurred back in 2015, and it has since been attributed to reflections from off-shore fishing vessel lights, according to Metro Online.

This intriguing phenomenon is known as 'isaribi kochu', which translates to 'fish-attracting light pillars'.

Japan Today explained after the 2015 sighting that these lights appear when ‘overnight temperatures drop low enough for ice crystals to form in the air above the ships’.

When conditions are just right to produce large enough crystals but no precipitation, "the light from their boats reflects off the crystals and shines brightly enough to be seen from shore," the publication added.

So, for those of you worried about an impending apocalypse, there's no need to panic. It's just nature playing its tricks.

Meanwhile, over in Portugal, some residents recently witnessed a different type of celestial event.

A huge, bright blue light shot across the sky. This wasn't related to fishing lights but was actually a meteor.

It was so bright that it illuminated the night sky, almost making it appear like daytime, in a very impressive display.

With these fascinating incidents and the recent visibility of the Aurora Borealis from the UK, it certainly makes one wonder what we’ll see next in our skies.