Mystery Over Pittsburgh - Pillar of Light

Appearing out of nowhere, all of sudden people began seeing a bright pillar of light suspended in the sky. Some even chased the light to try and find its source.

Here’s the thing, like the end of the rainbow with the pot of gold, you aren’t ever going to find the source.

Mysterious Sight Over Pittsburgh: Weather Conditions Perfect For Light Pillar Optical Illusion

We are being told this is ice crystals, but where is the proof. I know ice crystals do create atmospheric light shows like sun dogs and the ring around the moon. I have seen that first hand.

This optical illusion is similar to a rainbow, where light is refracted by suspended ice crystals in the atmosphere. Also, as KDKA Meteorologist Ron Smiley noted, there was a ring around the moon.

I have never seen or heard of ice crystals causing this. Anyone ever see a pillar of light like this before?

a reply to: LookingAtMars

We get them up here in Northern Canada.
Sometimes there will be a bunch of them, like infinite high buildings towering in the far distance.
I usually see them at least twice a winter ( winter is 7 months up here) lol

a reply to: Macenroe82

I have never lived that far north, must be why I have not seen them. Strange how moonlight can create a pillar. I get a rainbow or circle, but why a pillar?

a reply to: Macenroe82

What do you call them, do you's also call them pillars of light?

www.cbc.ca...

There’s a pic in the link of lots of light pillars. Lots and lots....

a reply to: ManyMasks

Excellent question, if they are a know phenomenon they must have a name.

ETA: Guess the ring around the moon is just called a ring around the moon.

a reply to: snowspirit

Hahaha that’s awesome because I was looking for that exact article to post.
Awesome.

a reply to: ManyMasks

Yup, light pillars is what we call them.
The native population have another name for them, but I can’t recall.

a reply to: snowspirit

Wow nice link. I can understand a view like that better that just one pillar. One pillar just seems strange.

Pic from snowspirit's link:

a reply to: Macenroe82

Aye they look amazing, you learn something new everyday eh. Cheers

a reply to: LookingAtMars

You can almost tell from just that pic, that it’s really really cold.....

Lunar Pillar

a reply to: jadedANDcynical

I can understand the single pillar in your image, kinda like reflecting on water. In this case the moon is not in line with the pillar.





Dosen't seem the same...

a reply to: LookingAtMars

Ah, yeah, the top pic in this post clearly shows the moon elsewhere in the sky. The one in the OP does not show the moon.

Probably the same phenomenon, just some other light source.

a reply to: jadedANDcynical

Like a UFO?

a reply to: LookingAtMars

Sure was pretty...

Local news said it was from the moon's reflection.... it was very cloudy here.
None the less it was a nice 45th birthday gift👍😊

originally posted by: LookingAtMars
a reply to: snowspirit

Wow nice link. I can understand a view like that better that just one pillar. One pillar just seems strange.

Pic from snowspirit's link:

This is my favorite 😊
Doesn't happen often... go outside enough and you catch nature's best🤗
Damn.. forgot to post after that last amazing picture. 😊

a reply to: LookingAtMars
We get them in central pa as well. And it’s is... ice crystals.