Light pillar

The column of light is a light effect in the atmosphere and is one of the halos. Starting from the sun, a linearly extended narrow strip of light extends vertically upwards - more rarely down. Light columns are then usually observed when the sun is above or below the near horizon.

Columns of light caused by the reflection of sunlight of hexagonal sheets of ice that sink slowly with almost no wind and aligning preferably horizontally in the air. They are therefore observed only with correspondingly low wind weather conditions. In contrast to the related halo phenomena under and over the sun and the fact that the hexagonal sheets of ice have in their horizontal orientation changing tilt angle, a pillar of light is similar to a glitter path of the sun visible on a slightly moving water surface. In very rare cases and at a very constant and low air movement also slightly curved columns of light are possible.