Couple creates beautiful rare optical illusion of light

They claim it was 'the best display of the evening'

A couple set out to climb Tamanos Mountain at the Mountain Rainier National Park last Saturday in the hopes of creating a "Brocken Spectre."

MUNTINLUPA, PHILIPPINES (Catholic Online) - Radka and Chris Chapman were not disappointed as weather conditions came together to create the optical illusion. The couple snapped several pictures and later shared them via social media.

Earthsky.org clarified that a "Brocken Spectre" is an illusion created by a shadow on fog, clouds or mist. The areas not covered by shadow reflect sunlight and create what appears to be a rainbow ring around the shadow which creates the illusion someone or something menacing is emerging from mist.

For the phenomenon to occur, someone (or something) must stand at a considerable altitude among the atmospheric fog, cloud or mist with the sun behind them and nature will take care of the rest.

As the couple stood on the summit ridge, they saw their shadows in a collection of cloud and mist surrounded by the telltale rainbow halo. Radka told ABC News that as a hiker, she had created and witnessed several halos and other phenomena at various altitudes but this was her first time seeing a Brocken Spectre.

"We were secretly hoping we would get lucky on Saturday as the conditions looked perfect. As the day went on, the Spectre would last longer and was more prominent and colorful. The best display was in the evening, when the Spectre appeared very clear, large and a short distance from us, right before thick clouds rolled in and obstructed the sun," she said in the interview.

Radka shared that they tried to leave but were so enamored by the phenomenon that they stayed and watched it for hours until the sun set.

Brocken Spectres are rare but can sometimes be observed during daytime flights when seated by a window on the shadow-covered side of the aircraft.

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