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Credit & Copyright: Walter Tape
(Alaska Fairbanks),
Figure 8-1,
Atmospheric Halos
Explanation:
How can an aurora appear so near the ground? Pictured above are not
aurora but nearby
light pillars,
a local phenomenon that can appear as a distant one.
In most places on Earth, a lucky viewer can see a
Sun-pillar, a column of light
appearing to extend up from the
Sun caused by flat fluttering
ice-crystals reflecting sunlight from the upper atmosphere.
Usually these
ice crystals evaporate before reaching the ground.
During freezing temperatures, however,
flat fluttering ice crystals may form near the
ground in a form of light snow, sometimes known as a
crystal fog.
These ice crystals may then reflect ground lights
in columns not unlike a
Sun-pillar.
In the above picture, the colorful lights causing the
light pillars surround a
ice-skating rink in Fairbanks,
Alaska.
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: light - ice crystals - Sun Pillar
Publications with words: light - ice crystals - Sun Pillar
See also: