Current:Home > ScamsThe elusive "Cougar's Shadow" only emerges twice a year – and now is your last chance to see it until fall-DB Wealth Institute B2 Expert Reviews
The elusive "Cougar's Shadow" only emerges twice a year – and now is your last chance to see it until fall
View Date:2024-12-24 00:51:01
An "elusive" beast is emerging for a limited time, offering viewers a rare glimpse of a spectacle in Arizona's mountains. It's not dangerous, but finding the legendary mountain entity can be difficult.
It's known as "The Cougar's Shadow" – a natural phenomenon in the state's Superstition Mountains that only appears twice a year, during the equinoxes. The spring equinox occurred late Tuesday night – a rare event itself as it's earlier than usual – offering a small window of opportunity to see the cougar-shaped shadow that cascades over Apache Junction.
The spectacle draws in people from across the country, including Ralph Prosser.
"I'm hoping to see the elusive cat," Posser told CBS affiliate KPHO.
Longtime "Cougar's Shadow" photographer Jack Olson told the station that the shadow looks like "a cougar chasing its prey down into the bottom on the canyon."
"This is my seventh year going out there," he said. "My wife thinks I'm crazy."
Olson has been posting updates about this year's big cat emergence on Facebook, saying on March 18 that while the shadow was already visible, it still "needs at least another week or more to become better defined."
According to Visit Mesa, the cougar appears the third week of March and the best viewing spot is in Apache Junction at 13th Avenue and Goldfield Road.
"Timing is critical," the group says, with the last 30 minutes before the official sunset being the "prime time for viewing."
Arizona's Superstition Mountains, the home of the rare shadow event, are the result of intense volcanic activity over a long period of time, according to Arizona State Parks. The state says that around 25 million years ago, volcanoes across the area emitted 2,500 cubic miles of ash and lava and that eventually, the volcanoes collapsed into their magma chambers.
"A subsequent up-thrust of thick lava within the largest of these calderas and the forces of erosion have created the Superstition formations that we see at the park today," the state parks website says. "...While hiking in the Superstitions, one can sometimes hear rumblings similar to rolling thunder. Geologists say this results from seismic activity resonated by the canyon walls. This could explain the origin of the Apache legend that these mountains are the home of the thunder gods."
- In:
- Equinox
- Arizona
Li Cohen is a social media producer and trending content writer for CBS News.
veryGood! (42446)
Related
- The White Stripes drop lawsuit against Donald Trump over 'Seven Nation Army' use
- These Best-Selling, Top-Rated Amazon Bodysuits Are All $25 & Under
- Niger’s junta accuses United Nations chief of blocking its participation at General Assembly
- With temporary status for Venezuelans, the Biden administration turns to a familiar tool
- Chris Wallace will leave CNN 3 years after defecting from 'Fox News Sunday'
- 11 Hidden Sales You Don't Want to Miss: Pottery Barn, Ulta, SKIMS & More
- Science paints a new picture of the ancient past, when we mixed and mated with other kinds of humans
- Ukraine targets key Crimean city a day after striking the Russian navy headquarters
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Something Corporate
- Shimano recalls 680,000 bicycle cranksets after reports of bone fractures and lacerations
Ranking
- Infowars auction could determine whether Alex Jones is kicked off its platforms
- Trudeau pledges Canada’s support for Ukraine and punishment for Russia
- 11 Hidden Sales You Don't Want to Miss: Pottery Barn, Ulta, SKIMS & More
- How Backstreet Boys' AJ McLean Really Feels About His Daughter Being an *NSYNC Fan
- Jared Goff stats: Lions QB throws career-high 5 INTs in SNF win over Texans
- 11 Hidden Sales You Don't Want to Miss: Pottery Barn, Ulta, SKIMS & More
- Savannah Chrisley Mourns Death of Ex-Fiancé Nic Kerdiles With Heartbreaking Tribute
- Workers exit GM facilities targeted as expanded UAW strikes get underway
Recommendation
-
Justice Department says jail conditions in Georgia’s Fulton County violate detainee rights
-
Why are people on TikTok asking men how often they think about the Roman Empire?
-
Not RoboCop, but a new robot is patrolling New York's Times Square subway station
-
Free babysitting on Broadway? This nonprofit helps parents get to the theater
-
'Treacherous conditions' in NYC: Firefighters battling record number of brush fires
-
Crashed F-35: What to know about the high-tech jet that often doesn't work correctly
-
Deion Sanders' pastor and friend walks the higher walk with Coach Prime before every Colorado game
-
Casa De La Cultura showcases Latin-x art in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month