Ever heard of a double rainbow? Well, we’ve got news for you – it’s not the only optical phenomenon that can leave you wondering if unicorns exist or if you’re just under a magical spell. Mother Nature has an insane box of tricks, and she’s not afraid to use them. From incredible light shows to downright otherworldly sights, we’re diving headfirst into some of the weirdest, most fantastic optical wonders that’ll have you thinking Hogwarts is real and you just missed the letter.

First up on the ‘OMG, is this even Earth?’ list is the glorious sun dog. Despite its bark-worthy name, there are zero canines involved in this optical feast. Instead, a sun dog, also known as a parhelion, occurs when light refracts through ice crystals in the atmosphere. And guess what? They usually come in pairs (like a real dog, two’s better than one). The sun dogs look like mini suns on either side of the big ball of fire we know and love, and they can even have tails – light that stretches outwards from the fake suns. The bottom line? Don’t freak out if you see multiple suns in the sky, it’s not Tatooine, just a couple of cool sun dogs playing fetch with your brain.

Speaking of fetch, the next optical wonder goes by the sassy name of Glory. But what’s in a name? In this case, a circular rainbow. Imagine you’re in an airplane, thousands of feet in the air, daydreaming of snacks when suddenly – bam! – there’s a ring of rainbow goodness around the plane’s shadow on a nearby cloud. No, you’re not hallucinating or living out your unicorn dreams; you’re experiencing the fantastic light show called Glory. But before you grab your wizard’s wand, just know it’s caused by light scattering within water droplets. So yeah, maybe don’t tell Dumbledore.

Next up is something that feels like a special effects extravaganza straight out of a Marvel movie – light pillars. These incredible vertical shafts of light extend upward or downward from a light source, like streetlights or even the moon. So what makes them look like extraterrestrial laser beams from space? It’s all thanks to flat ice crystals floating in the air, reflecting the light source and creating the majestic columns that reach for the skies. Next time you see a light pillar, you’ll have every right to start believing in Asgard.

To finish off this dazzling round-up, we’ll visit a lesser-known optical magic trick that Mother Nature pulled right out of her sleeve: green flash. No, it’s not what happens when The Flash does an Irish jig, but instead, it’s a fleeting glimpse of emerald light that appears right before the sun sets or just after it rises. Thanks to atmospheric refraction, light from the sun bends ever so slightly, and as a result, the green wavelength pops out to say a cheeky ‘hello.’ Green flashes last just a few seconds, but it’s the perfect reminder that nature can throw curveballs that make even the best magicians jealous.

So there you have it, folks! Mother Nature’s bag of optical tricks may have a scientific explanation, but that doesn’t make them any less magical. In a world filled with the ordinary, don’t forget to look up every now and then to appreciate the wondrous, extraordinary light shows happening above our heads.