Four Moons in the Sky? Russia Witnessed a Rare Four-Moon Phenomenon Above the Horizon — Explained

Added: 2026-05-05

[00:00:00]In early February, 2026, residents of St. Petersburg, Russia, shared videos of a strange night sky where the moon appeared to have multiple bright companions. Many described it as seeing four moons at once, and the images quickly went viral. Despite how unusual it looked, this was not an astronomical event. Earth did not gain extra moons, and nothing changed about the moon itself. What people witnessed was a rare atmospheric optical phenomenon known as a paraselene, or mock moon. This effect happens when moonlight passes through tiny, flat, hexagonal ice crystals high in Earth's atmosphere. Under very specific conditions, these crystals bend the light at precise angles, creating bright spots on either side of the moon.

[00:00:44]When the crystals are larger or slightly unstable, the light can stretch vertically, making the illusion appear even more dramatic. Paraselene are usually faint and easy to miss, which is why this event stood out. Events like this remind us that some of the most surprising night sky sites are created not by distant space, but by Earth's own atmosphere. To learn more about the four moons paraselene event, you can watch our full video on YouTube.