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Phenomena

Abu Fanous

Meteorology

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Abu Fanous is a mysterious light seen by travelers in the Arabian desert, appearing as an orb or headlight like glow at dawn or at night, moving unpredictably and, according to the stories told about it, luring people away into remote areas before vanishing. In Arabic and Islamic folklore it is explained as a jinn, but a proposed natural explanation involves gases escaping from the Earth's crust and igniting on contact with air to produce a glow. Neither account has been confirmed, and the phenomenon remains scientifically unexplained.

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