Jos Residents Stunned as ‘Three Suns’ Appear in the Sky, Experts Explain Rare Atmospheric Optics -

By Mustapha Muhammad Tukur Illo

Residents of Jos, the Plateau State capital, were briefly alarmed on Tuesday morning after a rare sight in the sky made the sun appear as though it had split into three.

Daily Star Nigeria gathered that unusual display, widely discussed across the city and on social media, has since been explained by astronomers and atmospheric scientists as a well-documented natural phenomenon known as sun dogs or parhelia.

Experts explained that the bright object seen at the centre was the actual sun, while the two bright spots appearing on both sides were optical effects caused by the interaction of sunlight with ice crystals suspended in the atmosphere. According to scientists, these ice crystals are typically hexagonal in shape and are found in high-altitude cirrus or cirrostratus clouds.

When sunlight passes through these hexagonal ice crystals, it is refracted at a specific angle of about 22 degrees, causing the light to split and form bright patches on either side of the sun at the same height.
This refraction process is governed by the laws of optics and is similar to how a glass prism bends light to create multiple visible colours, although sun dogs often appear whitish or slightly rainbow-tinted.

Scientists further noted that the phenomenon is more likely to occur when the sun is low on the horizon, usually during early morning or late evening. At such times, cold air temperatures and thin, icy clouds are more prevalent, creating ideal conditions for the formation of sun dogs. Jos’ high altitude and relatively cooler climate also increase the likelihood of witnessing such atmospheric effects.

Experts stressed that the event is completely harmless and does not indicate any danger. They dismissed claims linking the occurrence to spiritual forces, visual impairment, climate disasters or supernatural signs.

“This is a normal atmospheric optical effect that has been observed and studied across the world for centuries,” experts said, adding that it is a clear example of how light behaves when it interacts with ice particles in the atmosphere.

They concluded that the event reflects the predictable workings of physics and atmospheric science, operating within the natural order established by the laws of nature.