Ephemeral red and purple sun pillar

This giant sun pillar appeared in the sky of Romania on December 3, 2016.

The vertical shaft of light extending upward or downward from the sun changed color, from red to purple, before disappearing just as suddenly as it formed. Ephemeral!

sun pillar, pillar of sun, solar pillar, sun pillars pictures
By Stefan Bodrog via VK.com

That is magical, almost transcendental! Look at this amazing beam of light linking the sky with the Earth.

sun pillar, pillar of sun, solar pillar, sun pillars pictures
By Stefan Bodrog via VK.com

Ressembling a beam coming from another dimension, this atmospheric phenomenon is known as ‘sun pillar’.

sun pillar, pillar of sun, solar pillar, sun pillars pictures
By Stefan Bodrog via VK.com

Such beams oflight are typically seen during sunrise or sunset, when sunlight reflects off the surfaces of falling ice crystals associated with thin, high-level clouds. The hexagonal plate-like ice crystals fall with a horizontal orientation, gently rocking from side to side as they fall.

sun pillar, pillar of sun, solar pillar, sun pillars pictures
By Stefan Bodrog via VK.com

When the sun is low on the horizon, an area of brightness appears in the sky above (and / or below) the sun as sunlight is reflected off the surfaces of these tipped ice crystals.

Resulting in a baffling sky phenomenon.

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