Photo of the coastal town of Daisen, Japan, showcasing a breathtaking natural light show illuminated the night sky on May11, 2024 / Maashii_taiyo on X
Doha, Qatar: In the coastal town of Daisen, Japan, a breathtaking natural light show illuminated the night sky earlier this May.
Photos capturing the illuminated sky over Daisen town in Tottori quickly spread across social media, captivating users and sparking curiosity about the mysterious phenomenon.
Maashii_taiyo, a user on X, posted a photo on May 11, 2024, with the caption: "A streak of light was spotted in the sky above Mikuriya Port in Daisen Town, Tottori at around 10pm today."
本日22時頃に鳥取大山町の御来屋港上空に光の筋を発見。 pic.twitter.com/c0Ce8OAEiK
— まーしー (@maashii_taiyo) May 11, 2024
International news outlets and media agencies have explained that this phenomenon, known as 'Isaribi Kochu,' is a natural light display frequently observed along Japan’s coastal regions.
The Daily Guardian elaborated, "‘Isaribi Kochu,’ a natural light display commonly observed in Japan’s coastal regions. Isaribi Kochu occurs when fishermen employ bright lights, known as “isaribi,” to attract fish during nighttime fishing expeditions. Under specific atmospheric conditions, such as clear skies, low temperatures, and the presence of ice crystals in the air, these lights reflect to create vertical pillars of light."
Japan Today provided further insight, noting: "When the 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."
Massimo, an engineer with a following of 2 million users on X, who regularly explains phenomena related to science, technology, art, and weather, also shared the photo on his X account and described, "Light pillars are an atmospheric optical phenomenon in which vertical beams of light appear to extend above and/or below a light source. Sometimes they even appear as detached from the source. These ones were spotted over Daisen, a coastal town in Japan."
Light pillars are an atmospheric optical phenomenon in which vertical beams of light appear to extend above and/or below a light source. Sometimes they even appear as detached from the source.
— Massimo (@Rainmaker1973) May 20, 2024
These ones were spotted over Daisen, a coastal town in Japan. pic.twitter.com/Hyhbf0tte6
The captivating light display went viral worldwide, showcasing the stunning beauty of nature and its power to draw attention from across the globe.
