- Photos of a “firefall” phenomenon on the mountains of Sierra Nevada in California emerge online
- The “flames” and “lavas” are actually an illusion that happens when sunlight hits the water
- The sunlight reflection on water results in ribbons of stunning “fire light” running down the mountain
SIERRA NEVADA, California – Photos emerged online showing an amazing moment a “firefall” phenomenon happened in the mountains of Sierra Nevada in California.
Photo Credit: Sangeeta Dey
An article by Oliver Milman for The Guardian published on February 20 said that “firefall” on photos appears to be streams of fire or lava running down the mountains in Yosemite National Park.
However, the “flames” and “lavas” are actually an illusion that happen when sunlight hits the water and turns it bright orange. The sunlight’s reflection on the water results in ribbons of stunning “fire light” running down the face of the impressive mountain ranges of California.
BBC News mentioned in an article published on February 7 that the phenomenon happens very rarely, as it only occurs when the sun is at the right angle, and any little alteration on the degree will stop its occurrence.
The exact angle is necessary because it not only makes the sunlight line up with the mountains but also provide enough warmth for snow at the top of the rock to melt and flow down.
Jessica Haworth mentioned in her article for The Mirror published on February 19 that neuropsychologist and photographer Sangeeta Dey took the photo of the glowing waterfall.
“I could not believe what I was seeing. For 10 minutes all of us sat there mesmerized by this spectacle,” he said.
Photo Credit: Sangeeta Dey
“When it ended, a few of us had tears in our eyes, while some were clapping and others were just ecstatic to finally get a chance to see it after trying for year,” he added.
Experts said it has been several years since the phenomenon has occurred and many photographers waited excitedly to capture it in all its glory.
“I’ve met photographers who said that they have been coming for 11 years only to see this happen 2 or 3 times,” Dey said.
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