An astrophotographer attempting to make a timelapse of track of stars behind Mount Xiannairi in Sichuan , China , ended up capturing a foreign blue light being emit during an avalanche .

Shengyu Li countersink up the timelapse on October 27 , when a pulley of ice broke free from the mass and sparked a modest avalanche . Avalancheshappen reasonably oftentimes , but it presently became clear Li had enchant a peculiarly interesting one . Take a flavor at the footage below , and you will see a profane photoflash as the internal-combustion engine and snow descends .

" We have not found any antecedently documented typeface of such an case , making this uncovering both thrilling and intriguing for us , " Li toldSpaceweather.com . " Our initial surmisal is that the luminescence may lead from friction - induced inflammation during the fragmentation of ice . "

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While uncommon , the phenomenon was also trance just a few weeks earlier on October 3 on Muztagh Ata , by Lu Miao , again during an avalanche .

So , what is going on here ? Weirdly , you’re able to see a related effect by smashing a Wint - O - Green Lifesaver mintwith a hammer , known as triboluminescence .

While we know a little about the effect , and mechanisms behind it , it is not in full understood .

" Triboluminescence is the emission of self-generated light by mechanically skillful force . This mechanically skillful force is typically activated as a upshot of frictional contact such as rubbing or scratching , " a review on the topicexplains . " Triboluminescence is a insensate brightness level emission that is activate by the mechanically skillful force play of rubbing , scratching , or other frictional liaison . Another form of luminescence appears when the mechanically skillful force is sufficient to break fabric James Bond resulting in fracture . This glow is refer to as fractoluminescence , fracture stress - mechanoluminescence , or break triboluminescence . "

As noted by SpaceWeather.com , previous scientific papers have note electromagnetic emission ( EME ) link with develop cracks in ice , and cracks under mechanical stress .

" The main cause of EME from cracks in natural ice rink is the so - called ' immobilise - in ' or ' intrinsical ' electric study that is always present in both sea and freshwater ice . This electric field is generate by spatial nonuniformity in the concentration of ions dissolved in the ice volume , " onepaper explains .

" Mobile ion trapped in the ice bulk then propagate against the gradient of their concentration , father electrical charge transportation and an intrinsic electrical area in ice . "

Thischarge buildupis pocket-size , but can be more dramatic when crack cocaine appear cursorily .

" When an glass mass is split by a crack rapidly growing in the counseling vertical to the electrical field , the plain generates two surface charges of the opposite sign on the opposite aerofoil of the crack , " the paper continues . " Such a large likely difference can easy explain why the intrinsic electrical field dominates among the reason of EME from cracks in ice . "

Such a dramatic effect , as examine in the heap , however , is as rarified as it is glittery .