These photographs taken this morning in Shenzhen show an opening in an overcast sky that allowed the blue sky to peek through, giving the appearance of a “heaven’s eye” or “sky portal”.

Called hole punch clouds or Fallstreak holes, scientists don’t agree on what precisely causes this phenomenon, but see it as the collaboration between natural and artificial forces. A common theory supposes that an airplane traveling through a cloud influences supercooled water to form crystals without coalescing around a dust particle, from which the Fallstreak hole is formed when the water evaporates.

Some people have taken Fallstreak holes as proof of a hidden conspiracy or evidence that UFOs exist.

The phenomenon hasn’t turned up in Chinese media, leading one online user to ask, “Why hasn’t a specialist been interviewed in order to explain this phenomenon [to us]?”

Other users have taken this to be a bad omen. One user said, “There’s a catastrophe coming, pack up your valuables and run for your lives!” Another glumly pointed out, “The truth behind the unlimited bounds of your dreams has been revealed to be nothing!”

Whatever it may signify, the “wormhole” opening up over the skies of Shenzhen clearly shows a sky so full of blue that not even clouds can hold it back.

Photos: Sina Guangdong