Strange columns of light appearing in the sky - but what are they?

Residents of a small coastal town in Japan were amazed when they saw nine columns of light hovering above the Sea of Japan at night. Photos of this unusual occurrence were shared online after numerous people noticed the beams near Tottori prefecture on May 11. User Maashii even captured a photo of the beams cutting through the cloudy night sky above the fishing town of Daisen.

When asked about the strange lights, Maashii told a news site, "When I looked up at the night sky in front of my house, I saw several streaks of light in the sky." Many people speculated that these beams could be the work of aliens, but the truth behind this phenomenon is far more reasonable than one might think.

Despite not being extraterrestrial in nature, the lights make for stunning photos. They are actually reflections of lights from fishing vessels that are out at sea. The light is refracted into the clouds and can only be seen once every few years, according to a local named Masi-san. This natural occurrence is known as "Isaribi Kochu" and is a rare sight for residents of Tottori. Marcy, a resident who has lived in the town for almost a decade, says she has only witnessed it three or four times.

While these lights may not be caused by aliens, they are certainly fascinating to behold. In other news, a tiny fish finger sandwich weighing the same as a single pea has been making headlines as the world's smallest. Meanwhile, a crocodile's head unexpectedly popped up in a puddle outside a village in Buckinghamshire, causing quite a stir. There was also a story about a girl who thought she heard "monsters" in her bedroom wall, only to discover that it was something much worse.

But back to the topic at hand, let's take a trip to Ukraine where in February, soldiers were puzzled by an odd image they captured in the night sky. It appeared to be a large black disk hovering over the country. In the recording, translated from Ukrainian, the troops can be heard debating what the object could be. One soldier exclaimed, "What the f*** is this? Why isn't it moving?" The footage was taken by the 406th Battalion of the Ukraine Armed Forces through a "heat vision" quadcopter drone as the country continues to face ongoing conflict.

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