Starship Asterisk*

A Sun Pillar Over Sweden

Explanation: Have you ever seen a sun pillar? When the air is cold and the Sun is rising or setting, falling ice crystals can reflect sunlight and create an unusual column of light. Ice sometimes forms flat, six-sided shaped crystals as it falls from high-level clouds. Air resistance causes these crystals to lie nearly flat much of the time as they flutter to the ground. Sunlight reflects off crystals that are properly aligned, creating the sun-pillar effect. In the above picture taken last week, a sun-pillar reflects light from a Sun setting over Östersund, Sweden.

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People in Stockholm were all abuzz over these light pillars that appeared over the Swedish capital recently. Apparently it's the light from streetlamps and other articficial illumination that is being reflected here.

Ann

Ann wrote:People in Stockholm were all abuzz over these light pillars that appeared over the Swedish capital recently. Apparently it's the light from streetlamps and other articficial illumination that is being reflected here.

Yes, these have been featured in several APODs: http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap020902.html, http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap090112.html.

In this case, the ice crystals do not fall from high level clouds. They seem to be a part of the thin ice fog forming at sunset with rapidly falling air temperatures.
Leif

I've been lucky enough to see a sun pillar!

I don't think I have ever seen one, THANKS!!! That is really neat!

:---[===] *

What is the setting, a tourism spot? There are many people in the photo.

Poissant wrote:What is the setting, a tourism spot? There are many people in the photo.

Well, as a Swede with no interest whatsoever in winter sports, I don't exactly know, but I have to agree that this looks tourist-y. Those houses look like the sort of cottages that winter sport freaks might hire for a couple of weeks in the winter.

Östersund, where this picture was taken, is not all that far from Åre, one of the real tourist traps in Sweden.

Ann

I want to be a tourist in Sweden some day... what a lovely country. Sigh. Oh, also a lovely sun pillar.

Ann wrote:
Östersund, where this picture was taken,
is not all that far from Åre,

I bet it is Sunset because there is too much people outside for the morning. Nice candle..

retrogalaxy wrote:I bet it is Sunset because there is too much people outside for the morning. Nice candle..

Yes.

a sun-pillar reflects light from a Sun setting over Östersund, Sweden.

forget the bet

retrogalaxy wrote:
I bet it is Sunset because there is too much people outside for the morning. Nice candle..

owlice wrote:

• Yes.

a sun-pillar reflects light from a Sun setting over Östersund, Sweden.

Interesting image over Sweden