Incredible ‘red devil horns’ sunrise photos captured during rare solar eclipse mirage over the Persian Gulf
THESE incredible images appear to show giant devil horns rising over the Persian Gulf during a solar eclipse.
A photographer waited in just the right place to snap the rare spectacle as the sun was partially blocked by the moon at dawn.
Elias Chasiotis had planned on capturing the solar eclipse on December 26 while on holiday in Al Wakrah, Qatar.
And he knew because it came at sunrise he had a chance to capture an even rare phenomenon - a solar eclipse combined with the light-bending mirage effects seen near the surface of the ocean.
He told BoredPanda: "I hoped that optical effects like inferior mirage would be visible and I was lucky enough to capture them."
This type of mirage over the ocean is called Fata Morgana and occurs when rays of light are bent when they pass through air layers of different temperatures.
It is named after the Arthurian sorceress Morgan le Fay because it was once believed the mirages they were fairy castle created by her witchcraft to lure sailors to their death.
Elias added: "I was worried that nothing would come out of the eclipse.
"However, when the sun finally began to rise, it looked like two separate pieces, some sort of red horns piercing the sea.
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"It soon took the form of a crescent, with the so-called ‘Etruscan vase’ inferior mirage effect visible. "Due to its shape, the phenomenon was nicknamed the ‘evil sunrise.'”
Elias said it was the most stunning sunrise he had ever seen.
After the sun came above the horizon, he was able to see in a crescent shape behind the clouds with a plane passing in front.
What is a solar eclipse?
A solar eclipse takes place when the sun, moon and earth align together in a straight line.
The moon blocks the sun’s rays and gives people a chance to witness its fiery corona.
Astronomer Patrick McCarthy is the vie president of the GMT and told the BBC that anyone who witnesses a solar eclipse is completely "mesmerised" by it.
"Going into a total solar eclipse is a remarkable feeling,’" he said.
"The colours get bluer, the shadows change and everything on the ground looks washed out. It’s as if the world is becoming darker, almost monochromatic."