Light pillar - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

12/21/15, 13:16

Light pillar
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A light pillar is an atmospheric optical phenomenon in the form of a

vertical column of light which appears to extend above and/or below a
light source. The effect, sometimes also called the crystal beam
phenomenon, is created by the reflection of light from numerous tiny ice
crystals suspended in the atmosphere or clouds. The light can come from
the Sun (usually when it is near or even below the horizon) in which
case the phenomenon is called a sun pillar or solar pillar. It can also
come from the Moon or from terrestrial sources such as streetlights.[1]
Sun pillar, Finistre, Brittany

Contents
1 Formation
2 Trivia
3 Images
4 See also
5 References
6 External links

Formation
Since they are caused by the interaction of light with ice crystals, light pillars belong to the family of halos. The
crystals responsible for light pillars usually consist of flat, hexagonal plates, which tend to orient themselves
more or less horizontally as they fall through the air. Their collective surfaces act as a giant mirror, which
reflects the light source upwards and/or downwards into a virtual image. As the crystals are disturbed by
turbulence, the angle of their surfaces deviates some degrees from the horizontal orientation, causing the
reflection (i.e. the light pillar) to become elongated into a column. The larger the crystals, the more pronounced
this effect becomes. More rarely, column-shaped crystals can cause light pillars as well.[2]
Unlike a light beam, a light pillar is not physically located above or below the light source. Its appearance of a
vertical column is an optical illusion, resulting from the collective reflection off the ice crystals, only those of
which that appear to lie in a vertical line direct the light rays towards the observer (similar to the reflection of a
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light_pillar

Page 1 of 3

Light pillar - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

12/21/15, 13:16

light source in a body of water).[3]

Trivia
Light pillars have been known to produce UFO reports. Niagara Falls is one such area, where the mist from the
Niagara Falls causes the phenomenon to appear frequently during the winter months, where the ice crystals
interact with the city's many upward facing spotlights to create prominent light pillars.

Images

Pillars from uncovered work lights

above University of Alaska
Fairbanks (J. Hall)

Sunset with prominent sun pillar

near Tucson, Arizona.

Sun pillar in San Francisco,

California.

Light pillars on a winter night in

Laramie, Wyoming.

A lower sun pillar seen in the

Antarctic.

A sun pillar seen in Ohio in January

2015.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light_pillar

Page 2 of 3

Light pillar - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

12/21/15, 13:16

See also
Crepuscular rays
Halo
Light beam
Sun dog
False sunrise
False sunset

References
1. http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap131218.html
2. http://www.atoptics.co.uk/halo/colpill.htm
3. http://www.atoptics.co.uk/halo/lpil.htm

External links
Pillars (http://www.atoptics.co.uk/halo/pillar.htm). Atmospheric Optics. Explanations (10 pages) and
many images.
Light Pillars (http://www.islandnet.com/~see/weather/eyes/pillars.htm): An Introduction to Sun Pillars
and Related Phenomena. The Weather Doctor's Weather Eyes. Another nice explanation, all on one page
Fabulous frozen frames (http://www.smh.com.au/news/science/fabulous-frozenframes/2006/10/31/1162278140099.html) - Sydney Morning Herald. November 1, 2006
A Sun Pillar Over North Carolina
(http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap081215.html). NASA
Astronomy Picture of the Day, 15 December 2008

Wikimedia Commons has

media related to Sun pillar.

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Light_pillar&oldid=685873453"

Categories: Atmospheric optical phenomena Light Light sources
This page was last modified on 15 October 2015, at 14:55.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may
apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia is a registered
trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light_pillar

Page 3 of 3