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During an avalanche, bright blue lights mysteriously appeared on a mountain, leaving witnesses perplexed and scientists without clear answers to explain the frightening phenomenon.
Recently, the astrophotographer Shengyu Li positioned his camera to capture the stars on Mount Xiannairi in Sichuan Province, China. However, he captured something very rare and spectacular. A unexpected avalanche occurred before his lens, and as tons of ice rolled down the mountain, mysterious flashes of blue light were recorded in his footage.
The astrophotographer, who was at a safe distance, described the event as “exciting and intriguing".
The phenomenon was not visible to the naked eye, but the camera footage revealed a rare spectacle. The scene left scientists and enthusiasts perplexed, raising hypotheses about what could have caused the strange flashes of light.
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The science behind light in the mountain
The main theory points to the triboluminescence, a phenomenon in which certain materials emit light when crushed, scratched or fractured.
According to mountaineer Carson Reid, who analyzed the images, the flashes were concentrated at points where the ice collided with the mountain. “The serac fragmented when it hit natural obstacles, creating conditions for triboluminescence”, explained Reid.
A triboluminescence is not something completely new in science.
The appearance is documented in crystals such as sugar, which emit tiny flashes of blue light when crushed in the dark.
However, its large-scale manifestation, involving massive ice structures, is unprecedented.
Flashes visible only in footage
Li's footage is not an isolated incident. Three weeks earlier, astrophotographer Lu Miao captured similar flashes during another avalanche, this time on Muztagh Ata, a mountain in China's Xinjiang region.
Once again, the demonstrations were only detected after analyzing the time-lapse images.
These observations suggest that we are only beginning to understand how triboluminescence can occur in extreme natural environments. To date, scientists have only documented features in laboratory conditions, which made Li's discovery all the more remarkable.
A challenging physical puzzle
A triboluminescence occurs due to the rupture of chemical bonds or the superficial separation of surfaces, generating electrical charges that ionize the air or excite the material, resulting in light emissions. However, the exact details of the process have remained poorly understood.
Science communicator Erika, in a post on X, explained: “The exact cause of triboluminescence is still a mystery. It is usually related to the separation of charges and their rapid recombination, which creates flashes of light. In avalanches, friction and collisions between ice blocks appear to be the triggers for the observed flashes.. "
Richard Feynman, a renowned physicist, criticized and explained that he did not promote practical experimentation. In a lecture in Brazil, he illustrated how a concept, such as triboluminescence, could be better understood with tangible examples: “If you crush a lump of sugar in the dark, you will see a blue flash. No one knows exactly why this happens, but that is the result."
The next step in science
Based on recent evidence, scientists are increasingly inclined to explore triboluminescence under natural conditions. Observing manifestations like the flashes captured by Li and Miao could open new doors for research into physical interactions in extreme environments.
For now, blue flashes in avalanches remain an enigma. However, events like this reinforce the importance of scientific curiosity and careful recording of nature in action.
As new footage emerges, it may be time to finally fully unlock the secret of these mysterious lights that illuminate the ice.
