It was terrifying yet awesomely enthralling. For it's not everyday that one gets to see three suns on the glorious skies. On Friday, residents in Chengde, Hebei Province, noticed their part of the morning skies had an unusual number of suns.

Doomsday harbingers could have easily pounced on the gun to translate the phenomenon, but scientists were quick on the draw to explain that what happened was but just a halo of light being formed when the sun rays refracted and reflected through water particles in the atmosphere. This convergence thereby cause a simultaneous halo and rainbow effect.

People walk past a China Telecom public phone booth at a street in Shanghai October 28, 2013. Faster isn't necessarily better for China's telecom carriers as they prepare to roll out high-speed 4G mobile phone networks at the expense of their profitability for years to come. Picture taken October 28, 2013. To match story CHINA-TELECOMS/4G. REUTERS/Carlos Barria (CHINA - Tags: BUSINESS TELECOMS)

Suffice to say, it was like seeing magic or a phenomenal illusion being created high up there on the skies.

Local Chinese media reported residents rushed outdoors to take pictures and videos of the additional two "suns." In the Inner Mongolia region of northern China, residents reported seeing five shining suns.

Known in science as phantom sun or ice halo, the illusion is a recognised and accepted legitimate astronomical phenomenon.

What's more, it is almost a naturally occurring atmospheric phenomenon, formed in specific conditions when the sun is viewed at a certain angle from earth.

The phenomenon occurred in China's skies 9am on Friday morning.

Video Source: Youtube/ JewishNewsOne