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New Zealand Sky Lights Up Blue And Green During Earthquake

New Zealand Sky Lights Up Blue And Green During Earthquake

The country was hit by a 7.8 magnitude earthquake yesterday.

Claire Reid

Claire Reid

Bizarre blue and green lights lit up the sky over New Zealand as the country was rocked by an earthquake yesterday.

The powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck the South Island, just outside of Christchurch, leading to tsunamis and two deaths.

The footage was captured by Zachary Bell in Wellington, who wrote that it happened during 'the peak' of the quake and lasted five to eight seconds. Similar lights were also reported at the time of the 2011 Christchurch earthquake, which devastated the city.


People have reported seeing similar encounters during earthquakes, and in some cases for weeks before, for a long time, but scientists have never agreed on a reason why or even if it is a natural phenomenon.

However, a recent scientific paper published in the Seismological Research Letters, claimed that the lights are caused by highly charged atoms, which ionise pockets of air and create light-emitting plasma.

Featured image credit: YouTube/Zachary Bell

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