1. Circumhorizontal Arcs, or “Fire Rainbows”

These beautiful natural phenomena are popularly known as fire rainbows. However, they actually have nothing to do with fire or rain. Circumhorizontal arcs occur when sunlight hits ice crystals in cirrus clouds that are very high in the sky. They are most commonly found in the summer months.

2. Lenticular Clouds

Lenticular clouds are stationary lens-shaped clouds that form at high altitudes, especially over mountains and even buildings. The wind flow is obstructed by these tall structures, condensing to form the unique clouds that are often confused for UFOs. They occur most commonly in the winter and the spring.

3. Light pillars

This luminous optical phenomenon can be seen in many cold countries, such as Russia, Canada, and Finland. Vertical bands or tall pillars of light appear to shoot into the sky. This is formed when there’s a reflection of light from the sun and the moon forming various small ice crystals suspended in the air.

4. Monarch Butterflies

5. Catatumbo Lightning

The mouth of the Cataumbo River in Venezuela sees more lightning than anywhere else on Earth. The “everlasting lightning” occurs up to 260 nights of the year and can last over 10 hours. The area is so stormy because cool breezes from the mountains meet warm, moist air creating electric charges and lightning storms that can have over 280 lightning strikes per hour.

6. Mammatus Clouds

These mysterious-looking clouds, which are also known as “mammary clouds,” are a rare formation. Cool air (when surrounded by warmer air) sinks creating unique hanging pouches underneath clouds. They are often associated with severe thunderstorms, though meteorologists still don’t know exactly how they are formed.

7. Sundog, or “Mock Sun”

A sundog, also known as a “mock sun” is a natural phenomenon. It is formed when a concentrated bright spot is seen on one or both sides of the sun. They occur due to the refraction of sunlight through icy clouds. The sundogs form at 22° from the sun and are more frequent than many of these other natural phenomena.

8. Polar Lights

The mesmerizing polar lights are perhaps better known as the Auroras (the aurora borealis – northern lights – and the aurora australis – southern lights). Occurring high in the atmosphere, this incredible light show occurs when electrically charged particles released from the sun enter the earth’s atmosphere and collide with gasses in the air. The resulting bursts of light are a true wonder.

9. Nacreous Clouds

Nacreous Clouds, which are also known as polar stratospheric clouds, are usually spotted in the Polar Regions, high up in the atmosphere, where the air is cold and dry. The setting sun lies lower than the clouds, creating a colorful iridescent shine as they reflect sunbeams back. These clouds are also known as the ‘mother of pearl clouds’ and are only seen at the twilight hours of dawn and dusk. But, despite their beauty, they actually harm the ozone layer.

10. Volcanic Lightning, or “Dirty Thunderstorms”

Dirty thunderstorms, also known as volcanic lightning, are a crazy phenomenon where volcanoes actually produce lightning. It occurs when lightning is produced in a volcanic plume during an eruption. The ash picks up extra friction, creating static electricity that creates spectacular lightning.

11. Starling Murmurations

13. Green Flash

Popularized in the Pirates of the Caribbean film series, green flashes are actually a real natural phenomenon. It occurs just after sunset or right before sunrise when the sun’s rays are bent by the Earth’s atmosphere. While it only lasts for a few seconds and is seen as a colorful haze on the horizon, rather than a green ray shooting up from the sun, it is still quite an amazing sight.

14. Moonbows

Moonbow, also known as a lunar rainbow, is a natural phenomenon that occurs when the light from the moon reflects and refracts through water droplets in the sky. This very rare natural phenomenon happens only when the sky is dark and the moon is very low. However even the brightest light from a full moon is not enough for moonbows, hence this natural phenomenon is very rarely seen.

15. Shooting Stars