Magical Blue Light Observed on Mount Xiannairi, Sichuan, China

Photographer: Shengyu LiSummary Authors: Shengyu Li; Jim Foster

The blue flash shown above was observed on Mount Xiannairi, Sichuan, China on October 27, 2024. During a night sky timelapse shoot. I witnessed an unexpected, blue luminescence from an avalanche on the flank of Mount Xiannairi (5,998 m or19, 678 ft), part of the Ge'nyen Massif. It's believed that this is an example of triboluminescence, a type of luminescent phenomenon caused by friction-induced lighting during the nearly instantaneous fragmentation of ice crystals. Certain brittle solids, such as a quartz crystal or even a life saver hard candy, when crushed or snapped will on occasion emit light as a result of the rapid separation and reunification of static electrical charges. However, on a larger scale, it's rarely as well documented as it was on this crystal-clear night. Coincidentally, when I shared my observation with fellow astrophotographer and friend, Ms. Lu Miao, she remarked that earlier in October she had also captured a similarly colored flash of light on Mount Muztagh Ata in Xinjiang, China.

 

Mount Xiannairi, Sichuan, China Coordinates: 28.366944, 100.23

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