Phenomenon Type

Atmospheric Optics

Light bent into spectacle. Halos, rainbows, glories, sun dogs and the rare optics of sky and ice. Each one tracks live conditions so you know the best time to go.

86 phenomena
Akafuji (Red Fuji)
Geological

Akafuji (Red Fuji)

Appalachian Foxfire (Bioluminescent Fungi)
Botanical

Appalachian Foxfire (Bioluminescent Fungi)

Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights)
Celestial

Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights)

Benifuji (Crimson Fuji)
Geological

Benifuji (Crimson Fuji)

Bermuda fireworm bioluminescent mating spirals
Marine

Bermuda fireworm bioluminescent mating spirals

Bioluminescent Forest Fungi (Japan)
Botanical

Bioluminescent Forest Fungi (Japan)

Bioluminescent Fungi - Ghost Mushrooms
Botanical

Bioluminescent Fungi - Ghost Mushrooms

Bioluminescent Termite Mounds of Emas National Park
Wildlife

Bioluminescent Termite Mounds of Emas National Park

Blue Lava/Blue Flames (Kawah Ijen)
Geological

Blue Lava/Blue Flames (Kawah Ijen)

Blue Tears (bioluminescence) - Pingtan Island
Marine

Blue Tears (bioluminescence) - Pingtan Island

Bohol Loboc River Firefly Mass Glow
Wildlife

Bohol Loboc River Firefly Mass Glow

Bohol Mangrove Firefly Rivers (Abatan / Loboc / Maribojoc)
Wildlife

Bohol Mangrove Firefly Rivers (Abatan / Loboc / Maribojoc)

Brocken spectre
Atmospheric

Brocken spectre

Chott el-Jerid Summer Mirage (Fata Morgana)
Atmospheric

Chott el-Jerid Summer Mirage (Fata Morgana)

Circumzenithal arc
Atmospheric

Circumzenithal arc

Cloud Iridescence
Atmospheric

Cloud Iridescence

Coastal Bioluminescent Red Tide (San Diego)
Marine

Coastal Bioluminescent Red Tide (San Diego)

Daruma Yuuhi (Daruma Sunset)
Atmospheric

Daruma Yuuhi (Daruma Sunset)

Diamond Fuji
Celestial

Diamond Fuji

Dismalites (Orfelia fultoni) bioluminescence
Wildlife

Dismalites (Orfelia fultoni) bioluminescence

Earthshine (Da Vinci Glow)
Atmospheric

Earthshine (Da Vinci Glow)

Emeishan Buddha's Light (Brocken spectre / glory)
Atmospheric

Emeishan Buddha's Light (Brocken spectre / glory)

Falmouth Bay Sea Sparkle
Marine

Falmouth Bay Sea Sparkle

False Bay bioluminescent red tide
Marine

False Bay bioluminescent red tide

Fata Morgana (Strait of Messina)
Atmospheric

Fata Morgana (Strait of Messina)

Fire Rainbow (Circumhorizontal Arc)
Atmospheric

Fire Rainbow (Circumhorizontal Arc)

Firefly Squid of Toyama Bay
Marine

Firefly Squid of Toyama Bay

Fogbow (White Rainbow)
Atmospheric

Fogbow (White Rainbow)

Gegenschein
Celestial

Gegenschein

Gippsland Lakes Bioluminescence (Noctiluca)
Marine

Gippsland Lakes Bioluminescence (Noctiluca)

Glenorchy Glowworm Grotto
Wildlife

Glenorchy Glowworm Grotto

Green Flash at Sunset
Atmospheric

Green Flash at Sunset

Hachimantai Dragon Eye
Geological

Hachimantai Dragon Eye

Hokkaido Diamond Dust
Atmospheric

Hokkaido Diamond Dust

Hokkaido Square Sun (winter solar mirage)
Atmospheric

Hokkaido Square Sun (winter solar mirage)

Hokkaido Sun Pillars (Light Columns)
Atmospheric

Hokkaido Sun Pillars (Light Columns)

Hook Head Marine Bioluminescence
Marine

Hook Head Marine Bioluminescence

Horsetail Firefall
Geological

Horsetail Firefall

Iguazu Falls Full-Moon Rainbow (Moonbow)
Atmospheric

Iguazu Falls Full-Moon Rainbow (Moonbow)

Indian River Lagoon Bioluminescence
Marine

Indian River Lagoon Bioluminescence

Isaribi Light Pillars (Mikuriya Port)
Atmospheric

Isaribi Light Pillars (Mikuriya Port)

Ishino-yu Firefly Forest
Wildlife

Ishino-yu Firefly Forest

Jervis Bay Sea Sparkle (Bioluminescence)
Marine

Jervis Bay Sea Sparkle (Bioluminescence)

Kielder Forest Zodiacal Light
Celestial

Kielder Forest Zodiacal Light

Kilimanjaro Ice Cap Alpenglow
Atmospheric

Kilimanjaro Ice Cap Alpenglow

Kinabatangan Christmas-Tree Fireflies
Wildlife

Kinabatangan Christmas-Tree Fireflies

Luminous Lagoon (Glistening Waters) Bioluminescence
Marine

Luminous Lagoon (Glistening Waters) Bioluminescence

Lunar Halo
Atmospheric

Lunar Halo

Matsu Blue Tears Bioluminescence
Marine

Matsu Blue Tears Bioluminescence

Monterey Bay Sea Sparkle Bioluminescence
Marine

Monterey Bay Sea Sparkle Bioluminescence

Moonbow at Cumberland Falls
Atmospheric

Moonbow at Cumberland Falls

Nacreous Clouds (Polar Stratospheric)
Atmospheric

Nacreous Clouds (Polar Stratospheric)

New Forest Glowworm Mating Glow
Wildlife

New Forest Glowworm Mating Glow

Paracas Bioluminescent Red Tide Waves
Marine

Paracas Bioluminescent Red Tide Waves

Preikestolen (Pulpit Rock) Fog Inversion
Atmospheric

Preikestolen (Pulpit Rock) Fog Inversion

Puerto Princesa Mangrove Firefly River Glow
Wildlife

Puerto Princesa Mangrove Firefly River Glow

Puerto Rico Bioluminescent Bays
Marine

Puerto Rico Bioluminescent Bays

Ranomafana Bioluminescent Fungi Night Glow
Botanical

Ranomafana Bioluminescent Fungi Night Glow

Salar de Coipasa Mirror Season
Geological

Salar de Coipasa Mirror Season

Salar de Uyuni Mirror Effect
Geological

Salar de Uyuni Mirror Effect

Santa Cruz Bioluminescent Red Tide Waves
Marine

Santa Cruz Bioluminescent Red Tide Waves

Sea Firefly (Umi-hotaru) Swarms
Marine

Sea Firefly (Umi-hotaru) Swarms

Sea Sparkle (Coastal Bioluminescence)
Marine

Sea Sparkle (Coastal Bioluminescence)

Shiranui Sea Ghost Lights
Atmospheric

Shiranui Sea Ghost Lights

Siwa Salt Lake Sunrise Crystal Glow
Geological

Siwa Salt Lake Sunrise Crystal Glow

Sossusvlei Red Dune Sunrise Shadow Play
Geological

Sossusvlei Red Dune Sunrise Shadow Play

St Ives Bay Sea Sparkle (Bioluminescence)
Marine

St Ives Bay Sea Sparkle (Bioluminescence)

Staircase to the Moon (Broome)
Celestial

Staircase to the Moon (Broome)

Sun Dogs (Parhelia)
Atmospheric

Sun Dogs (Parhelia)

Sun Halo (22° Ring)
Atmospheric

Sun Halo (22° Ring)

Takeno Beach Bioluminescent Plankton
Marine

Takeno Beach Bioluminescent Plankton

Tanbo Fuji (Rice Paddy Reflection of Mount Fuji)
Optical

Tanbo Fuji (Rice Paddy Reflection of Mount Fuji)

Tasmania Sea Sparkle (Bioluminescence)
Marine

Tasmania Sea Sparkle (Bioluminescence)

Te Anau Glowworm Caves
Wildlife

Te Anau Glowworm Caves

Toyama Bay Shinkiro Mirage
Atmospheric

Toyama Bay Shinkiro Mirage

Upper Antelope Canyon Sunbeam Season
Geological

Upper Antelope Canyon Sunbeam Season

Vaadhoo Sea of Stars (bioluminescent plankton)
Marine

Vaadhoo Sea of Stars (bioluminescent plankton)

Victoria Falls Moonbow
Atmospheric

Victoria Falls Moonbow

Waipu Glowworm Caves
Wildlife

Waipu Glowworm Caves

Waitomo Glowworm Caves
Biological

Waitomo Glowworm Caves

Yaeyama Himebotaru Firefly Illumination
Biological

Yaeyama Himebotaru Firefly Illumination

Yosemite Spring Moonbow
Atmospheric

Yosemite Spring Moonbow

Yuanyang Rice Terrace Mirror Reflections
Botanical

Yuanyang Rice Terrace Mirror Reflections

Zhangjiajie Pillar Peaks Cloud Sea
Geological

Zhangjiajie Pillar Peaks Cloud Sea

Zodiacal Band
Celestial

Zodiacal Band

Zodiacal Light
Celestial

Zodiacal Light