What Causes ‘Ghost’ Lights in the Sky?

Imagine you're outside on a cold winter night, and suddenly glowing lights appear in the sky, like ghostly figures floating around. These are called 'ghost' lights, and they happen when tiny particles in the air reflect light from below, making it look like magical spirits dancing in the sky. It's kind of like how your breath shows up as fog on a cold day, but with glowing lights instead!

Take the quiz →

Examples

A child sees glowing lights dancing in the woods on a cold night, thinking they're spirits from a storybook.
A hiker notices shimmering lights floating just above the ground while walking through a snowy forest.
On a quiet winter evening, an old man sees glowing figures moving around his house and thinks it's a ghostly visit.

Ask a question

Discussion

Recent activity

Categories: Physics · atmosphere,light,phenomenon