Ghost stories are scary because they involve something unknown to us. The story is interesting because it tells about real events that actually took place. A fascinating middle ground between these two extremes are natural phenomena that we still cannot understand.
While we constantly continue to study the structure of this world, we often encounter natural “miracles” that go beyond our understanding and force us to enter the realm of fantasy and speculation. From jelly falling from the sky to unexplained explosions that destroy hundreds of kilometers of forest and blood-red apocalyptic skies, here are 10 strange natural phenomena.
10. Star jelly
Rain, snow, sleet, hail. No, these are not the four proverbial elements, but theoretically, these are all that can fall from the heavens at any given time. Oddly enough, while we can detect and track precipitation quite accurately, there is something else that can fall from the sky that we have no idea about: star jelly.
Star jelly is a translucent gelatinous material often found on grass or trees that is known to quickly disappear once discovered. Many have reported seeing such a substance fall from the sky. This has led to myths that the falling material is nothing more than parts of dead stars, alien excrement, or even from government drones. Mentions of the strange substance date back to the 14th century, when doctors used star jelly to treat abscesses.
Of course, our scientists had to investigate this strange phenomenon and determine its origin, right? In theory, yes. Some believe the strange substance is frog eggs swollen from exposure to water. The problem is that the study did not confirm the presence of animal or plant DNA in the substance, which makes it even more mysterious.
9. Morning Glory Clouds
Photo: news.com.au
Pillow-like clouds are not soft or fluffy at all. They are made of water vapor and will not be as soft as pillows if you fall on them. Because clouds contain water, we can understand their shapes and movements, and use this data to predict the weather - at least in most cases.
Morning glory clouds are long, tube-shaped clouds that look quite ominous in the sky. Reaching over 965km in length, they are most often seen in Australia during the transition from the dry to wet seasons. Local Aboriginal people say the clouds appear to warn of an increase in the bird population.
Apart from these Aboriginal myths, there is no serious explanation for why morning glory clouds have the shape they do. Some climate scientists say they form as a result of a combination of sea breezes and changes in humidity, but so far no computer models have been able to predict this strange natural phenomenon.
8. Cities in the sky
No, this is not some kind of comic book story or something from an ancient religion. This is reality. On April 21, 2017, in Jieyang, China, many citizens were amazed by the sight of the city floating in the clouds. Many rushed to post photos on the Internet, which scared others, but there was no reason for this, since something similar had happened before.
The same floating cities were observed in five different places in China during the 6 years leading up to this event. A large number of similar phenomena have led to various hypotheses: aliens are trying to get through to us from another dimension, the second coming of Christ will soon be, or the appearing images are a holographic test of the Chinese or even American government.
But we need, first of all, facts. There is a possible explanation: it is a rare natural phenomenon known as Fata Morgana, where light passing through thermal waves causes a duplication effect. This explanation could well be accepted if the images in the sky were not different from what is below them, below the horizon.
7. Tabby Star
Photo: National Geographic
Our universe is huge, and there are billions of galaxies in it that our descendants may one day discover. But in order to discover mystical wonders, we do not need to leave our Milky Way.
If you enter: Tabby's Star, you will get this information: KIC 8462852, named "Tabby's Star" in honor of its discoverer Tabet Boyajian, is one of more than 150,000 stars observed by the Kepler Space Telescope. What is absolutely unique about this star is the way it changes its glow.
Typically, stars are observed by the dips in their light that appear when planets pass in front of them. Tabby's Star is surprising because dips in its brightness amount to up to 20% of the total volume at one time, which is significantly more than other stars we observe.
Explanations for such strange light activity vary widely, from large clusters of planets passing in front of the star (which is unlikely) to large accumulations of dust and debris (but not for stars Tabby's age) and alien activity (which is very interesting).
One of the main theories says that aliens are using some kind of huge mechanisms orbiting the star to extract energy. Although this may sound strange, it is much more interesting than cosmic dust.
6. Rain of...spiders 
Photo: elitedaily.com
One of the many laws of the universe states that each of us is either a dog person or a cat person. These two personality variants are characteristic of all humanity. Even though many of us love animals, that love is not so strong that we dream of animals falling from the sky. If you love animals that much, perhaps you should seek professional help. But before you do, we have good news.
Although this is not a common natural phenomenon, animals falling from the sky are a reality. Not cats and dogs specifically, but many other animals fell from the sky along with raindrops. Some examples include frogs, tadpoles, fish, eels, snakes and worms (any of these scenarios are unpleasant).
The current theory explains this phenomenon by saying that the animals were lifted into the sky by a water tornado or waterspout that originated in their natural habitat. Unfortunately, such a fact has never been recorded or confirmed by scientists. Even if this theory is true, it cannot explain the fact that raw meat fell from the clear Kentucky sky in 1876. This does not fit into the official theory at all.
5. Blood Red Sky
Photo: georgianewsday.com
Answer the question quickly: what are the main signs of the approaching apocalypse? You may have guessed it: war, famine and epidemics. You may have mentioned the name of your favorite politician on this list. All of these answers are accepted, but consider one more: the sky turns blood red for a few seconds and then quickly returns to its normal state.
This phenomenon was observed in April 2016 by residents of Chalchuapa, El Salvador. The sky reportedly turned crimson within a minute and then returned to normal color with a slight pinkish tint. Many in the Christian population believe that the red flash is a sign of the upcoming apocalypse described in the Book of Revelations in the Bible.
Some possible explanations for this phenomenon include light coming from meteor showers, which are common in this area in April. However, this is unlikely because the blood red sky is a phenomenon that has never been observed before.
Another theory is that clouds reflected fires that had engulfed several sugarcane farms in the area. Whatever the explanation, we recommend that you pick up a Bible, or go to a bar, depending on what you believe.
4. The Great Attractor
Photo: sci-news.com
The generally accepted model for the origin of the universe is the Big Bang Theory: a massive explosion 14 billion years ago caused matter to expand outward at a rapid rate, causing the universe to continually expand. Although it is generally accepted, this theory is one of many regarding the origin of our universe. However, it does not explain some anomalies, such as the Great Attractor.
In the 1970s, they first began to study a strange force located 150-200 million light years away, which attracts the Milky Way and other neighboring galaxies. Due to the location of the stars in the Milky Way, we cannot see what this object looks like, so it has been dubbed the "Great Attractor".
In 2016, an international team of scientists was able to finally take a definitive look at the Milky Way using CSIRO's Parkers Telescope and discovered 883 galaxies concentrated in this region. While some believe that this will solve the mystery of the Great Attractor, others believe that the galaxies were attracted here in the same way that our galaxy is now attracted, and the true reason for this attraction remains unknown.
3. Taos Rumble
Photo: Live Science
Each of us has heard ringing in the ears, and the associated “old wives' tale” that it occurs when someone speaks badly about you. What is most infuriating is that no one hears this except you. Therefore, when we hear ringing in our ears for the first time, we might think that we are going crazy. But what if other people heard the same thing?
The city of Taos in north-central New Mexico is known for its liberal arts community, as well as several celebrities who have lived there. However, it is perhaps more famous for the "Taos Rumble", which is heard by about 2% of the population and which everyone describes differently.
It was first reported in the 1990s, and the hum began to be studied at the University of New Mexico. While most people claimed to have heard the hum, no equipment picked it up. Explanations for this phenomenon come down to factors such as: aliens, government experiments, the norm. Until we find the only true explanation for this hum, our personal explanation will be no worse than anyone else's.
2. Tunguska explosion
Photo: NASA
During the Cold War, we all feared the destruction that nuclear weapons would bring. We knew about the power of the nuclear bomb not only from testing, but also from real life, since it was used in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. At that time, people expected that fire would fall from the sky and the earth would open up. But in 1908 people could not have expected something like this.
On June 30, 1908, near the Podkamennaya Tunguska River in Siberia, a massive fireball crashed into the ground before exploding 6 km above the ground. The hot shock wave killed many animals, and trees over an area of tens of kilometers were toppled. Visitors to the Vanavara shopping market, 64 km from the center of the explosion, were knocked off their feet by its force.
Most scientists believe the fireball was a meteorite or asteroid that exploded due to atmospheric pressure, composition, and a number of other factors before making contact with the ground. The biggest mystery is that the crater was never found, making it impossible to analyze the meteorite material. It is possible that the object was entirely made of ice, and therefore left no fragments. However, this cannot be proven.
1. Japanese Atlantis
Photo: atlasobscura.com
It is strange when we discover circumstances that confirm that the mystery has been solved. Atlantis is a mythical underwater city ruled by Poseidon, or Aquaman from the comics, depending on who you ask. Since the legend originated in Greece, many believe that the real prototype is located somewhere in the Mediterranean Sea. Or maybe near the shores of Japan.
Large rock formations are found underwater near Yonaguni Jima Island. Outwardly, they resemble Egyptian or Aztec pyramids and have been under water for about 2000 years. Discovered in 1986 by a local diver, the formations were initially thought to have formed naturally, although this is strange given the 90° angles.
Unlike other mysteries on our list, this one has a completely reasonable explanation. We hope this helps you sleep much more peacefully tonight.
Sometimes the most incredible things happen on our planet. We are somehow accustomed to fantastic and mystical stories, so we don’t always believe in miracles. Mysterious phenomena happen in reality. There is irrefutable evidence of this. Just look at the megalithic structures scattered all over the planet! No matter what theories scientists put forward, they cannot explain their origin. There are other artifacts that also do not fit into existing theories and paradigms. Let's talk about them.
Ice woman
This story can surpass any other mysterious phenomena in its incredible improbability.
It was in Langby, Minnesota. It was a cold frosty day. The temperature dropped so low that it was scary to go outside. It was at such a time that Jean Hiliard, a nineteen-year-old girl, was discovered. She was completely frozen. The limbs did not bend, the skin froze. She was sent to the hospital. The doctors were amazed. The girl was an ice statue. The mystical phenomena demonstrated by the young organism were just beginning. The doctors were sure that the girl would die. And if the situation developed in a positive direction, she was threatened with amputation of limbs and a long, serious illness. However, after a couple of hours, Jean came to her senses and thawed out. She had no consequences from the “freezing”. Even the frostbite disappeared.
Delhi: Iron Column
Mysterious phenomena can occur with the most ordinary, at first glance, materials. Well, who can you surprise with iron these days? What if I tell you that it was made more than one and a half thousand years ago?
Of course it's incredible. However, in Delhi there is a structure that already adorns the city. It is made of pure iron. This is a seven-meter high column. It is not subject to corrosion. Some experts believe that it could not have been made on earth in those days. Nevertheless, such an artifact exists. It must be indicated when describing the photo, unfortunately, does not reflect all the incredible majesty and significance of this structure. By the way, research has proven that the column is 98% iron. The ancient people were unable to obtain material of such purity. This is a complex technological process.
Carroll A. Dearing
Mystical phenomena often occur in the ocean. People have been talking about the “flying Dutchmen” for several centuries. Not all stories are true, of course. But there are also documented facts.
Thus, an interesting and mysterious fate befell the crew of the schooner named "Carroll A. Deering". It was discovered on the very last day of 1921. Since she gave the impression of a ship in distress, rescuers went to her. Their amazement, mixed with horror, is simply impossible to convey. There was not a single person on the schooner. But there were also no signs of distress or catastrophe. It looked as if the people had disappeared suddenly, without even realizing what had happened. They just evaporated. They took with them personal belongings and the ship's log, although they left the cooked food at the place. No explanation has been found for this fact.
Hutchison effect
A person creates some mysterious phenomena with his own hands, without having any idea how it happens.
So, John Hutchison was a great fan of Nikola Tesla. He tried to reproduce his experiments. The results were as unpredictable as they were incredible. He received a fusion of metal with wood, small objects disappeared during the experiment. The most significant of the effects was levitation. The scientist was even more puzzled by the fact that he could not repeat the result, that is, some mystical, nonlinear events took place. NASA specialists tried to repeat the experiments, but to no avail.
Sticky rain
There were even more incredible, mysterious phenomena on Earth. One of these can safely be considered the extraordinary rain that fell on the residents of Oakville (Washington). Instead of drops of water, they found jelly. The mysteries didn't end there. All the residents of the town fell ill. They developed cold symptoms. We decided to investigate the jelly. White bodies, which are part of human blood, were found in it. Scientists have not been able to figure out how this could happen. In addition, two types of bacteria were recognized in the jelly, which did not explain the symptoms of the illness of local residents. This phenomenon remains unsolved.
Vanishing Lake
Mysterious natural phenomena sometimes resemble the fiction of a science fiction writer. Neither mystics nor scientists can find an explanation for them. A lake in Chile threw up such a mystery in 2007. It was not a puddle with a loud name, but a fairly large body of water. It was five miles long! However, it disappeared without a trace! Two months earlier it was explored by geologists. No deviations were found. But there was no water. There were no earthquakes or other natural disasters, and the lake disappeared. Ufologists gave a more or less acceptable explanation for the event. According to their version, the aliens pumped him out and took him to their “unknown distances.”
Animals in stone
Some mysterious ones are millions of years old.
Thus, there are documented cases where frogs were found inside solid cobblestones. But we can still try to explain this. But the fact of the discovery of a turtle immured in concrete, where it lived for at least one year, is difficult to substantiate. This happened in Texas in 1976. The animal was alive and well. There were no cracks or holes in the concrete. However, this structure was poured a year ago. How and why the turtle existed in the air chamber all this time is not clear.
Donnie Decker
The existence of a boy who can generate water has been documented! His name was Donny. He could “make it rain” indoors. The first time this happened was when the boy was visiting. He went into a trance, causing water to pour from the ceiling and the entire room to be filled with fog. Another time this happened a few years later was when Donnie visited a restaurant. The owner was not impressed by the miracle and kicked the teenager out. But these two episodes could be called fiction. However, there was also a third case. It happened in prison, where Donnie ended up because the rain poured straight from the ceiling of his cell. Neighbors in the building began to complain. Donnie was not taken aback and once again demonstrated his abilities to the guards. It is unknown where he went after his release. They say he worked as a cook.
There are still many amazing things happening in the world. There are people who claim to have seen aliens. Others can sense the future. Still others see through walls. Schools dedicated to the development of superpowers in ordinary people have emerged and continue to exist. Probably, in order to “feel” this unknown, you need to believe in it. Then it will become clear that miracles exist! They are real!
Many anomalies that researchers have been monitoring for years are only now becoming known.
Every year, scientists are increasingly faced with phenomena on our planet that they cannot explain.
In the USA, near the city of Santa Cruz (California), there is one of the most mysterious places on our planet - the Preiser's zone. It occupies only a few hundred square meters, but scientists believe that this is an anomalous zone. After all, the laws of physics do not apply here. So, for example, people of the same height standing on a completely flat surface will seem taller to one and shorter to the other. The anomalous zone is to blame. Researchers discovered it back in 1940. But after 70 years of studying this place, they could not understand why this was happening.
In the center of the anomalous zone, George Preiser built a house in the early 40s of the last century. However, just a few years after construction, the house tilted. Although this shouldn't have happened. After all, it was built in compliance with all the rules. It stands on a strong foundation, all angles inside the house are 90 degrees, and the two sides of its roof are absolutely symmetrical to each other. They tried to level this house several times. They changed the foundation, installed iron supports, even rebuilt the walls. But the house returned to its previous position every time. Scientists explain this by the fact that in the place where the house is built, the earth's magnetic field is disturbed. After all, even the compass here shows absolutely opposite information. Instead of north it indicates south, and instead of west it indicates east.
Another curious property of this place: people cannot stay here for long. After just 40 minutes of being in the Preiser zone, a person experiences an inexplicable feeling of heaviness, his legs become weak, he feels dizzy, and his pulse quickens. Staying for a long time can cause a sudden heart attack. Scientists cannot yet explain this anomaly, one thing is known that such a terrain can both have a beneficial effect on a person, giving him strength and vitality, and destroy him.
Researchers of the mysterious places of our planet have come to a paradoxical conclusion in recent years. Anomalous zones exist not only on Earth, but also in space. And it is possible that they are interconnected. Moreover, some scientists believe that our entire solar system is a kind of anomaly in the Universe.
After studying 146 star systems that are similar to our solar system, researchers found that the larger the planet, the closer it is to its star. The largest planet is closest to the star, followed by smaller ones, and so on.
However, in our solar system, everything is just the opposite: the largest planets - Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune - are on the outskirts, and the smallest are located closest to the Sun. Some researchers even explain this anomaly by saying that our system was allegedly created artificially by someone. And this someone specially arranged the planets in such an order to make sure that nothing happened to the Earth and its inhabitants.
For example, the fifth planet from the Sun, Jupiter, is the real shield of planet Earth. The gas giant is in an orbit that is atypical for such a planet. It’s as if it’s specially positioned to serve as a kind of cosmic umbrella for the Earth. Jupiter acts as a kind of “trap”, intercepting objects that would otherwise fall on our planet. Suffice it to recall July 1994, when fragments of comet Shoemaker-Levy crashed into Jupiter at tremendous speed; the area of the explosions was then comparable to the diameter of our planet.
In any case, science now takes the issue of searching and studying anomalies, as well as trying to meet other intelligent beings, seriously. And it bears fruit. So, suddenly scientists made an incredible discovery - there are two more planets in the solar system.
An international team of astronomers recently published even more sensational research results. It turns out that in ancient times our Earth was illuminated by two suns at once. This happened about 70 thousand years ago. A star appeared on the outskirts of the solar system. And our distant ancestors, who lived in the Stone Age, could observe the radiance of two heavenly bodies at once: the Sun and a foreign guest. Astronomers called this star, which tours alien planetary systems, Scholz's star. Named after the discoverers Ralf-Dieter Scholz. In 2013, he first identified it as a star belonging to the class closest to the Sun.
The size of the star is one tenth of our Sun. It is not known exactly how long the celestial body spent visiting the solar system. But at the moment, Scholz’s star, according to astronomers, is at a distance of 20 light years from Earth, and continues to move away from us.
Astronauts talk about many anomalous phenomena. However, their memories are often hidden for many years. People who have been in space are reluctant to reveal the secrets they witnessed. But sometimes astronauts make statements that become a sensation.
Buzz Aldrin is the second person after Neil Armstrong to walk on the moon. Aldrin claims that he observed space objects of unknown origin long before his famous flight to the Moon. Back in 1966. Aldrin was then performing a spacewalk, and his colleagues saw some unusual object next to him - a luminous figure of two ellipses, which almost instantly moved from one point in space to another.
If only one astronaut, Buzz Aldrin, had seen the strange luminous ellipse, it could have been attributed to physical and psychological overload. But the luminous object was also spotted by the command post dispatchers.
The American Space Agency officially admitted in July 1966 that the objects seen by the astronauts were impossible to classify. They cannot be classified as phenomena explainable by science.
The most amazing thing is that all the cosmonauts and astronauts who have been in Earth orbit mentioned strange phenomena in space. Yuri Gagarin repeatedly said in interviews that he heard beautiful music in orbit. Cosmonaut Alexander Volkov, who visited space three times, said that he clearly heard a dog barking and a child crying.
Some scientists believe that for millions of years the entire space of the solar system has been under close surveillance by extraterrestrial civilizations. All the planets of the system are under their control. And these cosmic forces are not only observers. They save us from cosmic threats, and sometimes from self-destruction.
On March 11, 2011, 70 kilometers from the eastern coast of the Japanese island of Honshu, an earthquake measuring 9.0 on the Richter scale occurred - the strongest in the history of Japan.
The center of this destructive earthquake was in the Pacific Ocean, at a depth of 32 kilometers below sea level, so it caused a powerful tsunami. It took the huge wave only 10 minutes to reach the largest island in the archipelago, Honshu. Many Japanese coastal cities were simply wiped off the face of the Earth.
But the worst thing happened the next day - March 12. In the morning, at 6:36 a.m., the first reactor at the Fukushima nuclear power plant exploded. A radiation leak has begun. Already on this day, at the epicenter of the explosion, the maximum permissible level of pollution was exceeded 100 thousand times.
The next day the second block explodes. Biologists and radiologists are sure: after such huge leaks, almost the entire globe should be infected. After all, already on March 19 - just a week after the first explosion - the first wave of radiation reached the shores of the United States. And according to forecasts, the radiation clouds were then supposed to move further...
However, this did not happen. Many at that moment believed that a catastrophe on a global scale was avoided only thanks to the intervention of some non-human, or more precisely, extraterrestrial forces.
This version sounds like fantasy, like a fairy tale. But if you trace the number of anomalous phenomena that the residents of Japan observed in those days, you can draw a striking conclusion: the number of UFOs seen was more than in the last six months around the world! Hundreds of Japanese people photographed and filmed unidentified glowing objects in the sky.
Researchers are absolutely sure that the radiation cloud, which was not unexpected for ecologists, and contrary to weather forecasters, dissipated only due to the activity of these strange objects in the sky. And there were many such amazing situations.
In 2010, scientists experienced a real shock. They decided that they had received the long-awaited answer from their brothers in mind. The American Voyager spacecraft could become a liaison with the aliens. It was launched towards Neptune on September 5, 1977. On board there was both research equipment and a message for extraterrestrial civilization. Scientists hoped that the probe would pass near the planet and then leave the solar system.
This carrier disc contained general information about human civilization in the form of simple drawings and audio recordings: greetings in fifty-five languages of the world, children's laughter, sounds of wildlife, classical music. At the same time, the then-current American President, Jimmy Carter, personally took part in the recording: he addressed extraterrestrial intelligence with a call for peace.
For more than thirty years, the device broadcast simple signals: evidence of the normal functioning of all systems. But in 2010, Voyager’s signals changed, and now it was not the aliens who needed to decipher the information from the space traveler, but the creators of the probe themselves. First, the connection with the probe was suddenly lost. Scientists decided that, after thirty-three years of continuous operation, the device simply malfunctioned. But literally a few hours later, Voyager came to life and began broadcasting very strange signals to Earth, much more complex than they had been before. At the moment, the signals have not been deciphered.
Many scientists are confident that the anomalies that lurk in every corner of the Universe are, in fact, just a sign that humanity is just beginning its long journey to understanding the world.
Some people encounter miracles all the time, for others these are fairy tales, however, paranormal things happen in our lives, and this is the same reality as, say, rain or snow, which seem so ordinary to us. (website)
Alien artifacts
On the evening of January 29, 1986, a strange event occurred near the Far Eastern town of Dalnegorsk. A large luminous “meteorite” crashed into the hill at great speed. The top of this hill is visible here from all corners of the city, so almost all local residents witnessed something mysterious. Later, lights began to burn on higher ground, resembling welding. Heavy snowfall in January did not allow us to immediately approach the glow, which lasted, as local residents say, about an hour. Only three days later, researchers managed to climb to the top and see strange fragments that had clearly melted under the influence of high temperatures. Surprisingly, at a distance of several centimeters from the fallen celestial body, the bushes and trees remained intact and unharmed.
The collision with the rock left many interesting artifacts, the chemical composition of which turned out to be extremely rare, if not completely atypical for the Earth. For example, balls and structures were found that resembled a mesh in their structure. Many of them had a high melting point, although they appeared to be plastic. Scientists have suggested that such chemical compounds are almost impossible to obtain under natural conditions on our planet. Then - what is this?..
Annabelle doll
These events formed the basis of the American horror film Annabelle. In 1970, an American student celebrated her birthday. Mom gave her a large antique doll, which she purchased at an antique store. A few days later, strange things began to happen. Every morning the girl carefully laid the doll on the bed in the apartment she rented with a friend. The toy's arms were at its sides, and its legs were stretched out. But by evening the doll took a completely different pose. For example, the legs were crossed and the hands were on the knees. The doll could also be seen in unexpected places in the home.
The girls came to the logical conclusion that during their absence, a stranger with a strange sense of humor visits the apartment. It was decided to conduct an experiment and seal the windows and door in such a way that the attacker would leave traces after the visit. Not a single trap worked, and strange things continued to happen to the doll. Moreover, bloody stains began to appear on the doll. Naturally, the police, who were involved a little later in this strange case, could not help the girls in any way. I had to turn to a medium. He said that once upon a time, a seven-year-old girl died on the site of this dwelling, whose spirit was playing with this doll, thereby giving some signs, for example, requests for help. But then something terrible began to happen to the doll.
One day, an acquaintance of theirs was visiting the girls. Suddenly a noise was heard from the next empty room. When the guys looked behind the door, there was no one in it, but on the floor. Suddenly the guy screamed and grabbed his chest. Blood stains appeared on his shirt. The chest was all scratched up. The girls left the apartment that same day and turned to the famous Warren esotericists, who study paranormal phenomena. It turned out that Annabelle is not just a doll, but some evil entity that took advantage of the girls’ trust. The Warrens performed a cleansing ceremony, after which creepy things no longer appeared in the apartment. The girls happily gave the doll itself to their saviors for eternal storage.
Rubber blocks
Over the past thirty years, mysterious artifacts have been regularly discovered on the shores of Europe. These are rectangular rubber blocks with rounded edges and the inscription “TJIPETIR”. It turned out that this word was the name of an Indonesian rubber plantation that existed at the beginning of the last century. But how can we explain the appearance of these products on the other side of the planet? Experts suggest that the plates are washed out from a sunken merchant ship.
But in this case, very mysterious oddities can be traced. Firstly, the plates appear in England, Sweden, Denmark, Belgium, France, which indicates a huge number of blocks at the time of the shipwreck. Such an impressive consignment of cargo should be reflected in some archival documents, but none were found. Secondly, the rubber was made 100 years ago, but, to the surprise of researchers of this phenomenon, it was very well preserved. Are these platinums really from a parallel world?..
Incredible facts
Scientists have been trying for centuries to unravel many secrets of the natural world, however, some phenomena still baffle even the best minds of humanity.
From strange flashes in the sky after earthquakes to rocks that spontaneously move across the ground, these phenomena seem to have no particular meaning or purpose.
Here are the 10 most strange, mysterious and incredible phenomena, found in nature.
1. Reports of bright flashes during earthquakes
Light flashes that appear in the sky before and after an earthquake
One of the most mysterious phenomena are the inexplicable flashes in the sky that accompany earthquakes. What causes them? Why do they exist?
Italian physicist Christiano Feruga collected all observations of flashes during earthquakes dating back to 2000 BC. For a long time, scientists were skeptical about this strange phenomenon. But everything changed in 1966, when the first evidence appeared - photographs of the Matsushiro earthquake in Japan.
Nowadays there are a great many such photographs, and the flashes on them are of such different colors and shapes that it is sometimes difficult to distinguish a fake.
Among the theories explaining this phenomenon are heat caused by friction, radon gas and piezoelectric effect– an electrical charge that builds up in quartz rocks when tectonic plates move.
In 2003, NASA physicist Dr. Friedemann Freund(Friedemann Freund) conducted a laboratory experiment and showed that perhaps the flashes were caused by electrical activity in the rocks.
The shock wave from an earthquake can change the electrical properties of silicon and oxygen-containing minerals, allowing them to transmit current and emit a glow. However, some believe that the theory may only be one possible explanation.
2. Nazca Drawings
Huge figures drawn on the sand in Peru by ancient people, but no one knows why
The Nazca Lines extend over 450 square meters. km of coastal desert, are huge works of art left on the Peruvian plains. Among them there are geometric figures, as well as drawings of animals, plants and rarely human figures, which can be seen from the air in the form of huge drawings.
They are believed to have been created by the Nazca people during a 1000 year period between 500 BC. and 500 AD, but no one knows why.
Despite its status as a World Heritage Site, Peruvian authorities have difficulty protecting the Nazca Lines from settlers. Meanwhile, archaeologists are trying to study the lines before they are destroyed.
It was initially assumed that these geoglyphs were part of the astronomical calendar, but this version was later refuted. Researchers then focused their attention on the history and culture of the people who created them. Are the Nazca Lines a message to aliens or represent some kind of encrypted message, no one can say.
In 2012, Yamagata University in Japan announced it would open a research center on site and intend to study more than 1,000 drawings over 15 years.
3. Migration of Monarch Butterflies
Monarch butterflies find their way across thousands of kilometers to specific locations.
Every year millions of North American monarch butterflies migrate over a distance of more than 3000 km south for the winter. For many years no one knew where they were flying.
In the 1950s, zoologists began tagging and monitoring the butterflies and discovered that they were found in a mountain forest in Mexico. However, even knowing that monarchs choose 12 of the 15 mountainous sites in Mexico, scientists still can't understand how they navigate.
According to some studies, they take advantage of the position of the Sun to fly south, adjusting to the time of day using the circadian clock of their antennae. But the Sun gives only general direction. How they settle in is still a mystery.
One theory is that geomagnetic forces attract them, but this has not been confirmed. Only recently have scientists begun to study the features of the navigation system of these butterflies.
4. Ball lightning (video)
Fireballs that appear during or after a thunderstorm
Nikola Tesla supposedly created ball lightning in his laboratory. In 1904, he wrote that he had “never seen fireballs, but he was able to determine their formation and reproduce it artificially.”
Modern scientists have never been able to reproduce these results.
Moreover, many are still skeptical about the existence of ball lightning. However, many witnesses, dating back to the era of Ancient Greece, claim to have observed this phenomenon.
Ball lightning is described as a sphere of light that appears during or after a thunderstorm. Some claim to have seen ball lightning passes through window glass and down the chimney.
According to one theory, ball lightning is plasma; according to another, it is a chemiluminescent process - that is, light appears as a result of a chemical reaction.
5. Moving stones in Death Valley
Stones that slide along the ground under the influence of a mysterious force
In the Racetrack Playa area of Death Valley, California, mysterious forces push heavy rocks across the flat surface of a dry lake when no one is looking.
Scientists have been puzzling over this phenomenon since the beginning of the 20th century. Geologists tracked 30 stones weighing up to 25 kg, 28 of which moved over a 7-year period of more than 200 meters.
Analysis of the stone tracks shows that they moved at a speed of 1 m per second and in most cases the stones slid in winter.
There were speculations that it was all to blame wind and ice, as well as algae slime and seismic vibrations.
A 2013 study tried to explain what happens when water on the surface of a dry lake freezes. According to this theory, ice on rocks stays frozen longer than the ice around them because the rock releases heat faster. This reduces the friction between the stones and the surface, making them easier to push around in the wind.
However, no one has yet seen the stones in action, and recently they have become immobile.
6. The Rumble of the Earth
An unknown hum that only some people can hear
The so-called "hum" is the name given to the annoying low frequency noise, which worries residents around the world. However, few are able to hear it, namely only every 20th person.
Scientists attribute the "hum" ringing in the ears, distant waves, industrial noise and singing sand dunes.
In 2006, a researcher from New Zealand claimed to have recorded this anomalous sound.
7. The return of the cicada insects
The insects that suddenly woke up after 17 years to find a partner
In 2013, cicadas of the species appeared from underground in the eastern United States Magicicada septendecim, which have not been shown since 1996. Scientists don't know how the cicadas knew it was time to leave their underground habitat after 17 year old dream.
Periodical cicadas- These are quiet and solitary insects that spend most of their time buried underground. They are the longest-lived insects and do not mature until they are 17 years old. However, this summer, they woke up en masse to reproduce.
After 2-3 weeks they die, leaving behind the fruits of their “love”. The larvae burrow into the ground and a new life cycle begins.
How do they do it? How do they know after so many years that the time has come to appear?
Interestingly, 17-year cicadas appear in the northeastern states, while in the southeastern states, cicada invasions occur every 13 years. Scientists have suggested that this life cycle of cicadas allows them to avoid meeting their predator enemies.
8. Rain of Animals
When different animals, such as fish and frogs, fall from the sky like rain
In January 1917, the biologist Waldo McAtee(Waldo McAtee) presented his work entitled "Rain of Organic Matter", which reported cases of falling larvae of salamanders, small fish, herring, ants and toads.
Rains of animals have been reported in different parts of the world. For example, frogs rained down in Serbia, perches fell from the sky in Australia, and toads fell in Japan.
Scientists are skeptical about their animals' rain. One explanation was proposed by a French physicist back in the 19th century: winds lift animals and throw them to the ground.
According to a more complex theory, waterspouts suck out aquatic inhabitants, transport them and force them to fall in certain places.
However, there have been no scientific studies to confirm this theory.
9. Stone balls of Costa Rica
Giant stone spheres whose purpose is unclear
Why the ancient people of Costa Rica decided to create hundreds of large balls of stone is still a mystery.
Costa Rican stone balls were discovered in the 1930s by United Fruit Company when workers cleared land for banana plantations. Some of these balls having perfect spherical shape, reached 2 meters in diameter.
The stones that the locals call Las Bolas, belonged to 600 - 1000 AD What makes this phenomenon even more difficult to understand is the fact that there is no written record of the culture of the people who created them. This happened because the Spanish settlers erased all traces of the indigenous cultural heritage.
Scientists began studying the stone balls in 1943, charting their distribution. Later, anthropologist John Hoopes refuted many theories explaining the purpose of the stones, including lost cities and space aliens.
10. Impossible fossils
Remnants of long-dead creatures that appear in the wrong place
Ever since the theory of evolution was proposed, scientists have encountered discoveries that seem to challenge it.
One of the most mysterious phenomena was fossil remains, especially human remains, which appeared in unexpected places.
Fossilized prints and traces were discovered in geographic areas and archaeological time zones to which they did not belong.
Some of these discoveries may provide new information about our origins. Others turned out to be mistakes or hoaxes.
One example is a discovery in 1911, when an archaeologist Charles Dawson(Charles Dawson) collected fragments of a supposedly unknown ancient human with a large brain, dating back 500,000 years ago. Big head Piltdown man led scientists to believe that he was the "missing link" between humans and apes.