From Mérida to Mexico City, a solar halo caused quite a stir throughout Mexico on Thursday.
When a rainbow-like halo surrounded the sun, the optical phenomenon triggered a social media frenzy of pictures and chatter about the end of the world.
The national weather service, as well as Regional Hydrometeorological Center of Mérida, fielded calls asking if the halo was a UFO. Or a harbinger of a drought. Or rain.
Some saw a bad omen while others saw humor in the situation.
“The aliens have finally arrived! Prepare the sandwiches for the trip!” someone wrote on Facebook.
Another idea to catch fire online was that the solar halo was a government conspiracy to blind voters ahead of June 7 mid-term polls.
Sun halos happen when sunlight passes through ice crystals, bending the light and creating the colorful ring. A weather service spokesman said that it’s a fairly common occurrence, but often overlooked by a busy society that doesn’t often look up.
