Residents and visitors to the Zigana Pass in Turkey’s Pontic Mountains were treated to quite a treat earlier this month. According to a video shared on YouTube, a bright beam of light shone down on the pass.
The beam looks almost like that of a UFO shining down on an unsuspecting victim, like what you’d see in a Hollywood movie. However, the real explanation behind the beam isn’t quite as sinister as you might think.
Bright beam of light shines down on Zigana Pass in Turkey
The video was uploaded on January 18 and shows a bright beam of light shining down in the distance. Many residents and visitors to the Zigana Pass witnessed the event, and while it might seem extraterrestrial, scientists have a different explanation for it.
Instead of being a tractor beam from a UFO, some say the beam is most likely a crepuscular ray. Crepuscular rays are essentially shafts of light that become more visible due to dust and particles in the air. It’s possible that the beam of light witnessed at Zigana Pass was just that, a shaft of light made brighter because of the snowy particles filling the air. Britannica says crepuscular rays appear to radiate due to the perspective that is created when the sun passes through clouds in a certain way.
The beam remained for over three hours
Despite what scientists say, there are a lot of folks who just don’t believe that the beam of light could be a crepuscular ray. Instead, some say it was light reflecting off of the ice crystals in the past. That caused it to shoot into the sky. This is also probable, as the beam never seems to waver, despite the clouds moving around it. Others believe the light is still some form of extraterrestrial event.
While we can’t say for sure what the beam of light was, we do know a few things about it. First, it was bright and all the footage and photos we have of it were taken from far away. Secondly, it remained in place for over three hours. Scientists’ claim that it could just be a crepuscular ray isn’t completely unlikely. However, this is just one of the few times that we’ve seen such rays stick around for so long. Additionally, crepuscular rays are most often only seen around sunrise or sunset.
Despite the mystery surrounding it, there’s one thing we know for certain. Seeing this beam of light shooting down from the sky is easily one of the most breathtaking events we’ve witnessed so far this year.
