Here's Why You Can Mysteriously 'See The Ocean' From Landlocked Arizona

Arizona may be landlocked, but some mornings seem to give beautiful views of a calm, blue ocean. The views are deceiving, however.

The Petrified Forest National Park posted photos of the "ocean view" on Facebook. Turns out, the blue ocean view is actually an illusion caused by the Earth's shadow and the Belt of Venus.

The park wrote:

"While this looks like we've got a view of a beautifully calm ocean, don't go grabbing your surfboards and scuba gear just yet!

This amazing phenomenon you can see during clear sunrises and sunsets is a combination of the Earth's shadow (dark blue) and the Belt of Venus (pink). The Belt of Venus has nothing to do with the planet Venus, but instead is a product of how light travels through our atmosphere when the sun's rays are at a very low angle.

Next time you are out enjoying the sunrise or the sunset, take a look in the opposite direction! You might be pleasantly surprised."

Check out the stunning photo below: