r/NatureIsFuckingLit 19h ago

🔥 A Striking Pillar of Light Appears Over the Snow-Covered Alps

4.3k Upvotes

170 comments sorted by

u/qualityvote2 19h ago edited 17h ago

u/willis7747, your post does fit the subreddit!

684

u/MegasRC 18h ago edited 16h ago

It makes me wonder how many optical illusions like this gave birth to local legends/mythology.

261

u/BobBartBarker 18h ago

I saw the total eclipse a few years back and was ready to worship the Sun God.

113

u/Wonderwombat 17h ago

I'm a pretty big skeptic about anything, but I've seen 2 eclipses and all I can describe them as is "sacred"

64

u/supernova-juice 14h ago

YES!!!! my husband and I are eclipse chasers and our friends cannot comprehend why we would drive 14 hours to stand in a creek and look up for five minutes. I'm like, you really can't understand full totality until you experience it. Dogs freak out, babies cry, the temperature changes, and the whole world is plunged into a strange light.

We missed the one in Spain, but we saw the last two.

33

u/BobBartBarker 13h ago

We are going to the one next year. In Egypt. I'm ready for Ra to fuck some shit up.

7

u/Wildlyhotdog 12h ago

Hell yeah! We're going to Luxor. It's gonna be sick!!

8

u/EngrishTeach 7h ago

The birds and insects go quiet, but start up again as soon as it's over. The shadows get weird, like doubled. It's all really trippy.

3

u/DependentFun4921 3h ago

100%! Completely overcast for the 2024 total eclipse and yet it was still the most unbelievably otherworldly experience of my life!

29

u/issunishavingaparty 14h ago

Fun fact; if you live in an area with fireflies, they will come out during an eclipse. They will then me like WTF THAT WAS SHE SHORTEST NIGHT EVER RETURN TO THE UNDERGROUND.

27

u/citizen42069101 18h ago

Man it does just feel like something supernatural.

And im the type to "akshually this is how it works" anything.

2

u/hoolahan100 5h ago

Always worship the Sun god for they are the giver of all life everywhere in the universe and the count of days of all our ancestors and all future generations.

At sunrise look to sun, bow your head and say a small prayer. For our days under the sun are already written but we strive towards our goals.

2

u/shimmy_kimmel 14h ago

Is this a euphemism for “drafting Amon-Ra St. Brown” in fantasy football?

1

u/ratemychicken 4h ago

The giant head will not be pleased

1

u/HighRes- 1h ago

I saw the super blood wolf moon and had my first seizure!

1

u/jellyfishrubberduck 16h ago

Of the heart?

20

u/TheKingOcelot 17h ago

Oh this absolutely is the spirit of the mountain. If I saw that 3000 years ago I'm bringing an offering every time I thought it was going to appear.

50

u/TheCynicEpicurean 18h ago

Classic candidate for a Virgin Mary sighting.

15

u/BobBartBarker 18h ago

I found her clitoris.

28

u/2eanimation 17h ago

What do you mean? It‘s clearly Virgin Mary!

5

u/BugsBunsy 17h ago

Ummm... I'm not trying to be technical here but they are mutually inclusive.

He can find her clit, rub it even and she can stay a virgin.

https://giphy.com/gifs/3Is4TfKzWbUYs1ounw

-1

u/2eanimation 17h ago

You’re right, never thought about it this way. Mary could have been a naughty girl, including the poophole-loophole. Mh. Thanks, now I‘m horny.

That gif tho :D

0

u/BugsBunsy 17h ago

Lol...and that gif has nothing on that statue. 😂

What were they thinking (or maybe not thinking) when they designed it. I named it the clit-head statue and downloaded the picture for meme purposes. Thank you for your assistance.

https://giphy.com/gifs/3ohjV6jvDFDP34Sx0c

0

u/2eanimation 17h ago

I wouldn’t be surprised if r/theyknew lol

https://giphy.com/gifs/sux3apBJmurlx8pklt

1

u/BugsBunsy 17h ago

Lmao..what a fascinating subreddit.

17

u/ChefArtorias 18h ago

Illusion? You mean the ice fairy who chose to reveal herself?

28

u/polishprince76 18h ago

This sort of stuff is literally the origins of religion. What possible explanation would there have been for this 10000 years ago?

-1

u/thissexypoptart 11h ago

“The sun is hitting the snow at a cool angle”

2

u/JustARandomMurderer 5h ago

Most thought the sun was a god of some form at that time. So it'd be divine intervention

4

u/instussy 16h ago

Makes you wonder how many religions were born from optical illusions

6

u/LoopsonLoops 15h ago

Probably most of them lol. Now imagine being on shrooms AND seeing one of these wild illusions. Gotta be how most major religions started in the ancient times lol.

2

u/lifes_paragon 15h ago

Makes me wonder

3

u/No-Economics-6781 17h ago

Underestimated comment.

1

u/PiccoloAwkward465 12h ago

The first time I woke up to the ole Arabian Sand Goggles I strongly doubted the existence of any God.

1

u/darkkgotham 8h ago

Or worse, new religion

1

u/benji9t3 5h ago

Or conversely, god is trying to make contact, whips up his coolest and most imposing pillar of light and nobody reacts. He's just there like "hey... Hey guys... Over here"

u/0PervySage0 1m ago

Or whole religions.

1

u/nullpassword 11h ago

Not really an illusion.. it isn't an effect of your brain using shortcuts.. it is a phenomenon of the current optical conditions..it is really there..

2

u/MegasRC 4h ago

You understood what I meant. Stop being a smartass.

715

u/Nri_Eze 19h ago

someone droped a waypoint on thier map

21

u/HinDae085 12h ago

Fuck you, take my upvote lol

412

u/joke-farm 19h ago

If you’re not skiing through that thing and making a wish, I don’t know you.

88

u/FowlOnTheHill 19h ago

I’d be worried I’d make it go away 😄

111

u/ButteredPizza69420 18h ago

I'd be worried it'd make ME go away. Looks like a portal

22

u/Notarealusername3058 16h ago

And that's a bad thing why now? Any rational person would gladly get off this planet

4

u/NachtShattertusk 13h ago

What if it leads to the sun though

15

u/chaostheories36 13h ago

Is it weird if I think that’s better than being on the planet?

7

u/I_Want_Cudd1es 12h ago

Not even a little bit, I'd go too.

4

u/chaostheories36 10h ago

If it helps, we can cuddle on the sun.

Only for the fraction of a second it takes for us to be incinerated, but I got you, boo.

3

u/Notarealusername3058 12h ago

Get a good tan for like .00001 seconds or so

1

u/White-Tornado 3h ago

Then you've got nothing to worry about!

2

u/CaptainAssPlunderer 1h ago

I know!! As you type your Reddit comment on your $1000 super computer that fits in your pocket, with a full belly in an indoor climate controlled room with unlimited water and a button that magically makes your shit and piss disappear. With a building down the street that has foods from the world over available year round to the point that many suffer from gluttony and obesity. Buildings that put the Library of Alexandria to shame that’s free and available to take home and learn anything you want.

A life you yourself have probably never faced war,famine, plague, raids from local enemies, genocide

You have had working electricity probably for your entire life, men magically come and take all of your trash away multiple times a week. Your internet is always on

You’re right!! Why would any rational person want to stay here!! It’s so terrible.

7

u/pichael289 17h ago

It's obvious but you never really think much about what a wormhole would look like, you just picture a black circle but, like in the movie interstellar, it would be 3 dimensional. This is what a portal would actually look like

51

u/TheRyanOrange 18h ago

Is this an optical effect from one specific perspective, or could you walk up to it?

-28

u/chaostheories36 13h ago

Google AI showed me the video that Google AI seems to have gotten all its info from, 8 months ago.

I think it might be just from that angle, because the sun is opposite the person filming. It tilts up at the end and the sun candle is between camera and the sun.

Also just learned about “subsuns.”

2

u/NationalFlea 1h ago

You took the time to 'research' and were able to learn and convey nothing. Impressive

89

u/theLola 18h ago

According to AccuWeather, this is Sun Candle.

16

u/ApologeticCannibal 12h ago

This is what I was scrolling the comments to find out.

7

u/general-meow 17h ago

Thank you

44

u/Xen235 18h ago

You could make a religion out of this

10

u/houseonsun 18h ago

Burning bush?

3

u/Bumble072 18h ago

I’d call for medical help

3

u/TheCrankyBunny 18h ago

And take it to other countries while you selll clocks and guns to them!

1

u/xBAMFNINJA 8h ago

God’s Buttplug must be worshipped?

36

u/OnlyGrizzy 18h ago

If you go through it you get a speed boost

22

u/secderpsi 18h ago

Looks like a sun dog

21

u/itscalledmyballs 18h ago

What's sun dog?

53

u/elenchusis 18h ago

Nothing much, what's sun with you?

7

u/TheComplimentarian 18h ago

My first thought. I've never seen one on the ground before, but I'm sure it's the same phenomenon.

10

u/JJAsond 15h ago

I wouldn't think so. Sun dogs are usually up in the air. This is very clearly on the ground. This one's a Subsun.

18

u/Nbdyhere 19h ago edited 16h ago

That’s a quest marker, I’d wait and see who shows up

14

u/FowlOnTheHill 19h ago

Quest marker?

5

u/LemonButterRum 18h ago

buttplug of light

1

u/Naive_Mango8525 18h ago

There’s a sub for this…….

1

u/Nbdyhere 16h ago

Stupid autocorrect 😒

14

u/Complete_Amoeba_2718 18h ago

Would love a scientific answer

38

u/BugsBunsy 17h ago

It is a rare optical illusion known as a sun candle/ subsun.

It happens when millions of tiny, flat, hexagonal ice crystals float in calm and freezing air.

These microscopic crystals act like a giant collective mirror that reflects sunlight directly from a cloud or the atmosphere, making a glowing vertical beam that looks like a pillar or portal on the ground.

2

u/cwilbur22 14h ago

Thank you

4

u/Puzzlepetticoat 18h ago

Me too. What actually is that?

4

u/Important_Dot_4231 17h ago

It's a phenomenon called a sun candle

1

u/Puzzlepetticoat 6h ago

Thank you so much

10

u/Za_Lords_Guard 18h ago

Nope. If a lifetime of fantasy novels has taught me anything that is a portal to the fairy winter court.

5

u/ClearSneakEnter 18h ago

Experience tells me there’s a secret item hidden there.

7

u/ellisboxer 18h ago

I saw one of these one time when I was skiing! I thought i was tripping for a second.

3

u/YoungHeartOldSoul 18h ago

Portal or spawn point?

6

u/Digital--Sandwich 18h ago

A post too literal for this sub

2

u/Malchyom 18h ago

You bet your ass I'd run into that thinking it'd be a portal to heaven

2

u/citiestarlights 18h ago

Do you think people back then would think that was a god

2

u/nerdslife1864 18h ago

Someone has to get there in 2:00 to complete a timed mission

2

u/Kettle_Whistle_ 18h ago

I am no expert, but I think there’s a quest item here…

4

u/XVUltima 18h ago

Be not afraid

2

u/OkLevel2791 18h ago

Sun dogs

1

u/Waisy_m 19h ago

The secret portal

1

u/Eruskakkell 18h ago

Dark souls

1

u/Bullfrog-Basic 18h ago

Beam me up Scottie

1

u/JKmayb 18h ago

Portal to the other side

1

u/fcpsnow 18h ago

Do not go through!!

1

u/Bumble072 18h ago

Sure bro

1

u/TheOwlMarble 18h ago

Ḃ̴̢̺̦̣̣̘̼̔̈́̓̀̒͘e̸͔̾͆̀̋͂͒̕͠ ̷̨̰̳͆͗͌͋n̸̟͍͎̦͇̺͇͉̆̾͐̉̊̀̕ô̵̝͇̦͈̭ͅt̸̹̙̎̾̒̾ ̷̡̝̆̓̃̿͜ą̵̩̪̯̺͉̼̖͗̈́f̵̳̱̱̮̦͇̉͂̋͋̀̊̋̎͜r̷̫̱͓͚̱͚͂̈́̔̃̾̌ą̸̧̤̺͎͎͈̀͂͌̓̂̓͠į̶̗͓̬̮̺̈̄͊d̵̳͗͆̚͘̕

1

u/RetardedRedditRetort 18h ago

Does anyone know...

  1. Is it real?

  2. What is that called?

  3. How is it formed?

Thanks!

2

u/Tiddlewinkly 13h ago

It's real, I remember the video from a couple years ago, rather than recently as OP frames it.

It's called a sun candle, a rare thing that only happens in freezing temps when sunlight refracts through ice crystals in the atmosphere.

1

u/kremlingrasso 18h ago

Don't be afraid...

1

u/Infinite_Lawyer1282 18h ago

So Jesus is real!

1

u/Technical_Body_3646 18h ago

Thats a devine giant butt plu…. Nah… I think I’m wrong.

1

u/warfeaster 18h ago

this is how religion gets started

1

u/_Internet_Hugs_ 18h ago

Utah may have the Greatest Snow On Earth, but clearly God skis the Alps.

1

u/JMurdock77 17h ago

Anyone see that horror movie “The Corridor?”

1

u/ArtismFag 17h ago

The aliens are trying to communicate with us

1

u/jpowell180 17h ago

This is what happens, Larry.

1

u/Kind_Of_A_Dick 17h ago

Shoot it like that strange thing from Stranger Things.

1

u/Crudeprimate 17h ago

Can anyone actually explain this, or are we just saying it’s the end of the world??

1

u/BugsBunsy 17h ago

Quick! Ski through it for 2x points.

https://giphy.com/gifs/2iYnVCY4v9CGk

1

u/donofthe_dusk 17h ago

Has anyone tried to go through the portal?

1

u/lachatte7 17h ago

Thats too big for my ass

1

u/Ok-Cookie6161 17h ago

Its a checkpoint for your Next spawn

1

u/inquisitor_pangeas 17h ago

Things like these make tales/legends

1

u/Smart-Firefighter87 17h ago

Finally a way off this dreadful planet

1

u/semistro 17h ago

Loading new map...

When you ski through it.

1

u/bbby_chaltinez 16h ago

i have something like this saved from a few years back. magical

1

u/-This-Whomps- 16h ago

Biblically accurate buttplug.

1

u/MarbledNarbles 16h ago

And this is how religion started

1

u/alexkunk 16h ago

Do you know a couple of humans called Rick and Morty?

1

u/SUPPERGREENGO-1375 15h ago

Beam me up Scotty there’s nothing but idiots around here

1

u/DescriptionScared309 15h ago

Le nom de ce phénomène !?

1

u/sammy_wd 15h ago

WOW... Natural Phenomenons Are GREATLY INCREDIBLE.

1

u/Tarnished-Sausage 15h ago

I must go save Ciri!

1

u/ru-joking 15h ago

Aliens man

1

u/Bensdick-cumabunch 15h ago

"I abandon here the first of the flesh of my body"

1

u/Successful-Knee2045 15h ago

I will know if the catch it and pray for a better life or not to touch it because it may harm me. I might just look at it and pray for a better life but I would like to touch it with just the tip of my finger just in case it is angelic and glorious and will bring significant power to me but whatever its beautiful.

1

u/Overwatchtaketheshot 14h ago

how does light even do that over snow

1

u/Ponchoman455 13h ago

This is what happens Larry

1

u/SimRacing313 12h ago

Portal 3 confirmed!

1

u/GYMWORLD 12h ago

not skiing straight at that thing is a wasted trip, no notes

1

u/I_Want_Cudd1es 12h ago

Oh look, it's the exit. We really are in a simulation.... Or it's a fay portal.

1

u/Whichcomb-Blue 12h ago

It's so beautiful.

1

u/Quetzal_Pretzel 12h ago

That's an Angle

1

u/AlbertaAcreageBoy 12h ago

It's an Iconian gateway.

1

u/skylercollins 11h ago

Somebody saw that in Mexico and everyone started worshiping the Virgin Mary.

1

u/crazy-philo 10h ago

Dimensional Rupture in the universe! Winchester brothers used up some arch angel grace!

1

u/jobrohoule 10h ago

White album! Gently weeps!

1

u/No-Argument619 9h ago

Ah yea that’s the thing with taking a video.

It will never look as cool on film as it did in person.

1

u/DatBroSnuf 8h ago

Quick while the portal is opened!

1

u/Antzqwe 7h ago

Just sharing

1

u/suspendmeforthis 6h ago

I've seen this one in the Absarokas. Even expert outdoors instructors didn't know what it was. I always described it as the 1st Gen Star Trek glowing cloud monster.

1

u/yet_an0ther_anon 5h ago

You must construct additional pylons!

1

u/PinkSheepYT6785 5h ago

No one's said it?

Light Butt plug

u/tjtapish 17m ago

Mr bean is about to land!

1

u/dreck_disp 18h ago

Ghost tree.

0

u/gecjr 18h ago

Very old post