Why Pilots See Three Suns Over the Himalayas

Imagine sitting inside an aircraft cruising above the mighty Himalayas. You look out of the window expecting to see the sunrise, but instead, you’re greeted by three glowing suns in the sky, all aligned side by side. For a few seconds, your heart stops. Your mind tells you it’s impossible. Your eyes insist it’s real.

For pilots flying in this region, this awe-inspiring sight isn’t a myth or a hallucination; it’s a real and rare optical event that nature creates high above the mountains.

So what is this mysterious “three suns” phenomenon, and why does it happen especially over the Himalayas? Let’s explore the magic and science behind one of the sky’s greatest illusions.

The sight of multiple suns is not supernatural — it’s a natural optical event called parhelion, commonly known as sun dogs. It occurs when sunlight passes through ice crystals suspended in extremely cold layers of the atmosphere, bending and splitting the light into multiple bright spots.

To the human eye, these bright spots appear like two identical suns flanking the real sun, creating the illusion of three suns rising together.

It looks like a scene from another planet—surreal, breathtaking, and unforgettable.

The Himalayas are not just the tallest mountains on Earth — they form a unique microclimate at extreme altitudes. Temperatures in the upper troposphere drop significantly, allowing tiny hexagonal ice crystals to float in the sky like invisible dust.

These natural elements make the region ideal for parhelion formation due to:

? Extremely low temperatures at high altitudes
? Thin, clean air free of pollution particles
? Strong winds that align ice crystals in similar directions
? Abundant suspended ice crystals, especially in winter

Pilots flying above 30,000–35,000 ft often pass through layers with these optical conditions.

And suddenly, just like magic, three suns appear.

Here’s the simple science:

• Sunlight hits flat, plate-like ice crystals in the atmosphere.

• These crystals act like tiny glass prisms.

• They refract (bend) the light at a precise 22-degree angle.

• This bending splits the light into separate bright spots.

• Two bright spots appear on either side of the actual sun.

? So what looks like three suns is actually:
one real sun and two bright reflections created by refraction.

At times, these reflections are so intense that they appear almost identical to the sun  same color, shape, and brightness.

It’s nature’s optical engineering at its finest.

For pilots, flying presents experiences most humans will never see: blazing auroras from above storms, lightning webs across cloud tops, glowing halos around the moon, and yes, the rare three suns.

Most pilots describe the moment as:

“A silent miracle. You are surrounded by endless white mountains and then suddenly the sky multiplies into three suns — it feels unreal.”

From a cockpit, where the view is unobstructed and panoramic, the parhelion effect is much more vivid than what people see from the ground.

The emotion is not just visual  it’s spiritual, overwhelming, and deeply humbling.

Many Indian airline and rescue pilots have reported sighting sundogs over:

• Leh – Ladakh region

• Gurez & Zanskar valleys

• Kinnaur & Spiti stretches

• Upper Uttarakhand (near Nanda Devi, Kedarnath, Gangotri belt)

• Mt. Everest flight corridors

Some describe it during early morning takeoff from Leh or while crossing snow-covered ranges where the horizon is pure white.

One pilot said:

“When you see three suns, time almost stops. You forget the aircraft, the controls, the world. For a few seconds, it’s just you and the universe.”

Yes, but rarely.

Most commercial passengers miss it because:

• It occurs only at specific altitudes & angles.

• You need a clear sky + freezing temperatures + suspended ice crystals.

• You must look from the correct side of an aircraft, facing the sun.

• It usually happens for only a few minutes, often at sunrise.

However, passengers flying to Leh, Srinagar, Kullu, or Kathmandu during early morning winter flights have a chance to witness it.

Even from the ground, people in polar countries like Norway, Sweden, Canada & Russia occasionally see sundogs on extremely cold days.

So keep your eyes open; nature might surprise you.

In mountains, everything feels more powerful  silence, time, sky, and emotion. Witnessing three suns is more than a scientific event; it touches something deep inside.

For many, it symbolizes:
 1- A reminder that nature is bigger than us
2-  A moment of connection with something divine
3- A rare kind of peace & perspective

Mountains already dissolve ego. Three suns dissolve logic — and fill the heart with wonder.

Best months: December–February
Best regions: Ladakh, Spiti, Kashmir, Kinnaur, Nepal Himalayas

Nature hides miracles everywhere, but only a few get the chance to see them. The three suns over the Himalayas remind us that the world is full of wonders science explains, but the heart still struggles to absorb.

While pilots may witness it more often than we do, the phenomenon belongs to everyone  to dreamers, sky-watchers, travellers, and anyone who believes that magic still exists in this universe.

So next time you fly over mountains, don’t fall asleep.
Look outside.
You might not only see the real sunrise you might see three.

✨ Because sometimes, nature doesn’t just decorate the sky.
It sets it on fire.