Light Pillars atmospheric beauty
Pillars of light, as it turns out, are not only at the time of rapture of the saints in heaven. When the streets are very, very cold, the ground is subtle, Light Pillars decorate the Earth with its magic beauty. And this amazing atmospheric phenomenon inspires thousands of photographers to uncover the lens. Meet the result of joint creative work of atmosphere, light, and the camera man. The legend says pillar light brings happiness to those who see it. From a physical point of view, these pillars – the result of light refraction in the thinnest ice dust that swirls in the air in frosty weather. Moreover, even in very dim light – from the moon, or from a garden lantern – can ignite an amazing sparkle. And every time the pillars look different: they are like the columns of a heavenly temple, on the disco lights, the light on the rain of light.

Light or sun pillar is a vertical streak of light extending from the sun during sunset or sunrise. The phenomenon is called flat or columnar hexagonal ice crystals. Airborne flat crystals cause solar poles, if the sun is at 6 degrees above the horizon or behind it, and it is pillared, if the sun is at 20 degrees above the horizon. Crystals tend to have the horizontal position while falling down in the air and the view of the light pole depends on their relative position.

Sunlight reflected off ice crystals in a high cirrus haze produce the pillar whilst rays reddened by a long passage though the atmosphere light the lower clouds. Light pillars often formed around the moon, city lights and other bright light sources. Poles coming from low-lying light sources are usually much longer than solar or lunar poles. The closer to the light pole is to the observer, the less effect of the appearance of the pillar.

Light pillars have also been known to produce false 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.

Pillars are often lengthen and brighten after sunset. Watch them creeping northwards (southwards in the Southern Hemisphere), following the sun’s movement below the horizon, for up to 30 to 60 minutes after it has set at ground level.

These photographs, which depicted the light poles – the art “catch” of Landscape photographers Jason Ernst, Mila Zin’kova, Grechko Tristan and others.

Light Pillars atmospheric beauty

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