A rare atmospheric phenomenon with four moons was recorded over Odessa

A rare atmospheric phenomenon was observed in the sky over Odessa, during which four bright objects similar to the Moon were visible simultaneously. These are parselenes, an optical effect associated with the refraction of moonlight in ice crystals.

This is reported by local media.

In the evening over Odessa, city residents recorded an unusual optical phenomenon, when several more bright reflections appeared next to the real Moon, creating the impression of the simultaneous presence of several Moons in the sky.

This phenomenon is a type of halo effect and has the scientific name of parselene, or the so-called “false moons” . It occurs due to the specific refraction and reflection of moonlight in crystals of frozen moisture contained in the upper layers of the atmosphere.

“Parseleniums appear when moonlight passes through hexagonal ice crystals suspended in the air,” experts note.

According to experts, this phenomenon is most often observed in cold weather or during the passage of cirrus clouds, which are composed of microscopic ice crystals. It is their shape and orientation in space that determine the number and brightness of “false moons”.

Parselenes are sometimes called “multiple moons” because visually it may appear that 2, 3, or even more luminous objects appear in the sky at the same time, located on the same level as the Moon. In this case, the Moon itself remains only one, and all the others are optical reflections.

Experts emphasize that this phenomenon does not pose any danger and is an exclusively natural atmospheric process that occurs when appropriate meteorological conditions and a light source in the form of a bright Moon combine.

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