Footage of pedestrians in Costa Rica earlier this week staring at an iridescent ring of color has gained traction on social media, sparking a debate about whether or not the end of times was approaching. According to a report from the Huffington Post, people stared up in wonder as color seemed to flow from a mysterious cloud formation.

The light display was viewed by people in San Jose, Escazu, and Hatillo in Costa Rica this Tuesday. While some believed it was a message or a signal from some higher power, scientists eventually pointed out that the event was caused by a common phenomenon called cloud iridescence.

Peggy Lamone, a senior scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research, explains that condensed water floating in the air is the real culprit behind the Technicolor display in the sky.

Based on the location of the videos, Lamone believes that the top of a rain cloud or a mountain likely pushed air containing condensed water droplets upward, which proceeded to diffract light in numerous directions, creating the vivid hues in the sky.

The phenomenon is not unlike a rainbow, but the colors are scattered in all directions rather than neatly separated. The odds of viewing cloud iridescence are reasonably high, but you’re more likely to catch a glimpse if you live in a cooler climate.

The clouds must bee lined up with the sun correctly in order for the phenomenon to occur, but the conditions are often right for the stunning display of color to light up the sky all over the world.