Rare 'portal to heaven' cloud observed in Turkey

Strange 'portal to heaven' cloud over Turkey

A rare cloud formation in western Turkey has gone viral on social media, dubbed "a portal to heaven."

A cloud over the Söke district of the Aydın province initially appeared as a ring on the evening of March 10. As the sun began to set, the circumference of the ring grew larger and the lower rim of the cloud approached the horizon.

Söke resident Yasin Toköz filmed the moment and shared it on social media, which led some Twitter users to liken the natural formation to supernatural phenomena.

Pareidolia is a psychological phenomenon involving a vague and random stimulus, often an image or sound, being perceived as significant.