ROCHESTER N.Y. – One of our News10NBC viewers, Scott, recently shared photos capturing an unusual sight on the horizon. Imagine tall, white pillars of light rising into the night sky. While they may look unique, these shafts of light are actually a familiar atmospheric optical phenomenon that can appear during the heart of winter when the conditions line up just right.
To produce this display, the atmosphere must supply a very specific type of snowflake. The size and shape of ice crystals depend heavily on temperature. Though several forms are possible, such as hollow columns or needle-like crystals, light pillars are most often created by thin, plate-shaped ice crystals, which typically form at temperatures of 14 degrees Fahrenheit or colder. With light winds these tiny, hexagonal plates float gently in the air and act like countless small mirrors.
When these suspended ice crystals interact with a bright artificial light source, such as streetlights or parking lot lights, their reflective surfaces scatter the light vertically. The result is the glowing vertical shafts known as light pillars.
It is yet another example of the surprising optical displays our winter atmosphere can create. So the next time you see pillars of light on a cold night, you will know the science behind the show. Remember to look up as you never know what you might see in the night sky.
First Alert Weather In-Depth: A wintertime wonder of atmospheric optics WHEC.com.
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