A group of electricians on their way to inspect crucial power lines in a remote snowy expanse unexpectedly encountered a rare sky phenomenon making it appear as if there were three suns up above.

Breath-taking footage shows the workers, clothes in full winter gear, trekking across the thick snow towards a faraway power station in Jimunai County, in Xinjiang, China, on December 12.

In the video, they are seen stopping outside for a photo with the bright sun in the background that appeared as if it had two smaller suns circling around it, forming a giant, glowing halo.

The peculiar sight is actually a rare weather phenomenon, according to experts, known as a phantom sun, or sun dog.

The sun dog, better known among scientists as a parhelion, is a bright, coloured spot that appears on one or both sides of the sun, often forming a halo.

It is caused by the reflection, refraction, and dispersion of sunlight by ice crystals in the atmosphere, creating a luminous patch in the sky.

Sun dogs are typically seen when the sun is low on the horizon and under specific atmospheric conditions, such as the presence of cirrus clouds containing ice crystals.