Photo shows the rare Haizi spectacle appearing in Laizhou, Shandong Province, on Feb. 4, 2012.?[shm.com.cn]

A rare spectacle appeared on the sea of Laizhou City, Shandong province, on Feb. 4, 2012. An UFO-like island suspended on the sea but was obviously apart from the sea level.

This is a Haizi spectacle, a naturally occurring optical phenomenon.

Light rays are bent through atmosphere of different densities to produce a suspending image of distant objects such as islands.

It appears when a large temperature difference exists between the sea water and the air layer above the water.?

The spectacle usually appears when spring turns into summer or?summer into autumn. It rarely occurs in winter.