Mother nature has a way of constantly entertaining us with her dazzling colourful creations. The skies are one of her favourite venues – think sunsets, the northern lights and rainbows. And someday, if you’re lucky, you’ll get to witness mesmerizing light pillars.
Every so often, in very cold climates, the atmosphere creates tiny, floating ice crystals. These crystals are flat and hexagonal in shape. Once they are aligned in a common vertical plane, they become like small mirrors and reflect light. If they float near a light source, like a streetlight or a floodlight, they can form the optical illusion of colourful pillars by transmitting that light up and down the tower of crystals. Three things are required for this to occur – frigid temperatures (-10° to -40° Celsius), high humidity and no wind. Let the show begin.