A vertical shaft of light extending upward, and sometimes downward, from the sun, typically seen near sunrise or sunset when the sun is low on the horizon. It forms by the same flat, horizontally aligned ice crystals responsible for other light pillars, reflecting sunlight off their broad faces as they drift or fall through the atmosphere, and often appears alongside a sun dog or halo when cirrus cloud conditions favor several ice-crystal phenomena at once.
Facts
Identification
Distinguishing AppearanceA vertical beam of light extending above and/or below the sun, usually when it is near or even below the horizon. 1 Sources
1. Light pillar, Wikipedia
Introduction, sources of light pillarsQuote, Introduction, sources of light pillars
Light pillars can also be caused by the Moon or terrestrial sources, such as streetlights and erupting volcanoes.
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