Astronomy Picture of the Day
    


A Sun Pillar in Red and Violet
<< Yesterday 5.02.2006 Tomorrow >>
A Sun Pillar in Red and Violet
Credit & Copyright: Jim Kirkpatrick & Brigitte Heiter-Kirkpatrick
Explanation: Sometimes the unknown is beautiful. In 2000 February near Lake Tahoe, Nevada, two amateur photographers noticed an unusual red column of light rise mysteriously from a setting sun. During the next few minutes, they were able to capture the pillar and a photogenic sunset on film. Pictured above, the red column is seen above a serene Lake Tahoe and snow-capped mountains across from Lake Tahoe-Nevada State Park. The mysterious column, they learned later, is a Sun Pillar, a phenomenon where sunlight reflects off of distant falling ice crystals.

January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
 < February 2006  >
Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa Su


12345
6789101112
13141516171819
20212223242526
2728




Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (USRA)
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: Sun Pillar - mountains
Publications with words: Sun Pillar - mountains
See also:
All publications on this topic >>