The Amazing Light Pillars that appear on the Night Sky – The light pillars is a beautiful phenomenon which appears during the night above the cities.
Check out the light pillars and three more intriguing light effects on the following:
What are these Light Pillars?
A light pillar is just a visual effect created by the reflection of light from crystals of ice with horizontal planar surfaces. The source light can be the Sun, the Moon or any terrestrial source such as streetlights.
How does a Light Pillar look like?
The pillars of light look like columns that are quite thin in diameter, and extend right above a source of light. These columns are more visible when the Sun is setting, but there are cases when they are determined by the light of the Moon. When the solar disc is below the horizon, the light pillar tends to be more prominent.
The light pillars are not the only visible phenomenon created by the crystals of ice when interacts with a source of light. This interaction creates arcs, glories, pillars, halos and sun dogs. The color of the pillar can vary, depending on the color of the light source. They can be pale blue, white, yellow or pink.
Where can you see the Lights Pillars?
This phenomenon is more likely to occur in the Northern Hemisphere, close to the polar region. They could also appear in other regions, during winter nights with a clear sky. The light pillars that include artificial light sources are common in Finland, Scotland, and other countries from North. The pillars that form with the light generated by the Sun or Moon can occur widely.
Related: Light pillars are amazing, but pillars forgotten in the middle of the road are not!
Below you can watch a video about the shimmering visual effect created in the sky, the light pillars:
Bellow you can read about other optic phenomena that are visible in the sky.
These visual effects develop in the same way as the light pillars, and the only difference is the distribution of light which creates a different shape for the light.
A Halo is also a nimbus or an ice-bow and consists in a phenomenon determined by the reflected sunlight in various ice crystals which creates spots and arcs. Usually, the halo forms around the sun. However, in the cold periods, they could form around artificial light sources such as city lights.
2. Sun Dog
A Sun Dog is an interesting visual effect that creates bright spots on either side of the Sun. These doppelgangers are obvious when the Sun sets, in the cold days. This phenomenon is visible with the help of the ice crystals that are present in the atmosphere.
A corona is determined by the diffraction of the light coming from the Sun or Moon by small water drops of ice crystals. It looks like a series of circular rings that form around the Sun or Moon. The celestial objects also dims in light, when this phenomenon occurs
Below you can watch a video about a light phenomenon which include Halo, Sun Dog and 5 Suns:
Written with love and coolness by karrinah on January 28, 2014 in Amazing Stuff
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