Oct 31 2024 1 mins
On October 31st in the year 2024, an unusual atmospheric anomaly occurred over the South Pacific which baffled meteorologists and scientists around the world. Satellite images captured a large swirling vortex of clouds unlike anything seen before.
Witnesses on fishing boats in the region reported heavy rains, high winds, and strangest of all, purple lightning strikes within the clouds. They managed to get mobile phone videos of the violet flashes which went viral online, further stoking speculation about its nature.
When the anomaly passed through later that day, analyses of the cloud structure from planes walking through its remnants found no trace of pollutants or unusual meteorological conditions to explain its origins. Theories around some new weather phenomenon or even signs of climate change ran rampant across 24 hour news networks and social media.
It wasn't until a mathematician at the University of Auckland noticed an odd pattern within the timing and path of the strange storm that a possible explanation emerged. Through complex calculations and simulations, they realized the cloud formations matched what might occur if an unknown atmospheric lens or prism had been present in the sky to refract light in an unprecedented way, much like an ice crystal can split white light into a rainbow.
While nothing like it has ever been directly observed, the phenomena was deemed scientifically plausible. The mystery remained unsolved, but the brief botanical disturbance was a thought-provoking reminder of both how little is truly known about the complex systems shaping life on our planet, and the unpredictability of the natural world.
Witnesses on fishing boats in the region reported heavy rains, high winds, and strangest of all, purple lightning strikes within the clouds. They managed to get mobile phone videos of the violet flashes which went viral online, further stoking speculation about its nature.
When the anomaly passed through later that day, analyses of the cloud structure from planes walking through its remnants found no trace of pollutants or unusual meteorological conditions to explain its origins. Theories around some new weather phenomenon or even signs of climate change ran rampant across 24 hour news networks and social media.
It wasn't until a mathematician at the University of Auckland noticed an odd pattern within the timing and path of the strange storm that a possible explanation emerged. Through complex calculations and simulations, they realized the cloud formations matched what might occur if an unknown atmospheric lens or prism had been present in the sky to refract light in an unprecedented way, much like an ice crystal can split white light into a rainbow.
While nothing like it has ever been directly observed, the phenomena was deemed scientifically plausible. The mystery remained unsolved, but the brief botanical disturbance was a thought-provoking reminder of both how little is truly known about the complex systems shaping life on our planet, and the unpredictability of the natural world.