Starship Asterisk*

Light Pillar over Volcanic Etna

Explanation: What happening above that volcano? Something very unusual -- a volcanic light pillar. More typically, light pillars are caused by sunlight and so appear as a bright column that extends upward above a rising or setting Sun. Alternatively, other light pillars -- some quite colorful -- have been recorded above street and house lights. This light pillar, though, was illuminated by the red light emitted by the glowing magma of an erupting volcano. The volcano is Italy's Mount Etna, and the featured image was captured with a single shot a few hours after sunset in mid-June. Freezing temperatures above the volcano's ash cloud created ice-crystals either in cirrus clouds high above the volcano -- or in condensed water vapor expelled by Mount Etna. These ice crystals -- mostly flat toward the ground but fluttering -- then reflected away light from the volcano's caldera.

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Holy Moly; Fire in the hole!! for real! Beautiful photo of volcano and
light pillar! I need someone to light my fire!

Great picture. Reminded me of a scene in the Raiders of the Lost Ark movie.

Woah!!!!!! That's a fierce beast!

Ok, the light pillar - and its cause - are cool, but what's causing the diagonal shaft of red light seemingly down the volcano's side to the right?

johnnydeep wrote: ↑Mon Nov 15, 2021 9:17 pm
Ok, the light pillar - and its cause - are cool, but what's causing
the diagonal shaft of red light seemingly down the volcano's side to the right?

Camera artifact

Same as the OPOD for the past three months.