Check out these amazing Solar Pillar Illusions. A solar pillar is an atmospheric optical phenomenon that appears as a vertical column of light above or below the sun, often at sunrise or sunset.
If you are interested in learning more about how these Solar Pillar Illusions work, scroll down to learn more about it.
Table of Contents
- What is the Solar Pillar Illusion?
- How does the Solar Pillar Illusion work?
- Some Similar Illusions
- Discovery of the Solar Pillar Illusion
- References and Resources
What is the Solar Pillar Illusion
A solar pillar illusion is an atmospheric optical phenomenon that appears as a vertical column of light above or below the sun, often at sunrise or sunset.
The solar pillar is caused by the reflection of sunlight by ice crystals in the atmosphere, which act as tiny mirrors and reflect the light in a vertical direction.
The pillar can appear as a bright, glowing column of light that extends several degrees above or below the sun, and it can sometimes be colored, with hues of orange, red, or pink.
Solar pillars are a type of halation phenomenon, which are caused by the refraction, reflection, and scattering of light in the atmosphere.
They are a rare but beautiful sight and can be seen in certain locations and weather conditions.
How does the Solar Pillar Illusion work?
Solar pillars are caused by the reflection of sunlight by ice crystals in the atmosphere.
When the sun is near the horizon at sunrise or sunset, its light passes through a greater amount of atmosphere than when it is higher in the sky.
This causes the light to be scattered and refracted by the atmosphere, which can create a variety of optical effects. In the case of solar pillars, the light is reflected by hexagonal ice crystals in the air, which act as tiny mirrors and reflect the light in a vertical direction.
This creates the appearance of a bright, glowing column of light that extends above or below the sun.
The color of the solar pillar depends on the position of the sun and the composition of the ice crystals, which can scatter and refract different wavelengths of light.
Some Similar Illusions
Some related atmospheric optical phenomena to the Solar Pillar Illusion that are caused by the refraction, reflection, and scattering of light in the atmosphere include:
- Sun dogs – bright spots of light that appear on either side of the sun, caused by the refraction of sunlight through hexagonal ice crystals.
- Halos – rings of light that appear around the sun or moon, caused by the refraction and reflection of light by ice crystals in the atmosphere.
- Rainbows – arcs of colored light that appear in the sky opposite the sun, caused by the refraction, reflection, and dispersion of sunlight by raindrops in the atmosphere.
- Glories – rings of colored light that appear around the shadow of an observer’s head on a cloud or fog bank, caused by the diffraction and interference of light waves.
- Green flashes – a phenomenon where the top edge of the sun appears to briefly flash green just as it is setting or rising, caused by atmospheric refraction of the sun’s light.
- Fata Morgana – a complex form of mirage that can produce distorted and magnified images of distant objects in the sky or on the horizon, caused by atmospheric refraction and temperature inversions.
Discovery of the Solar Pillar Illusion
Many of these atmospheric optical phenomena have been known for centuries and have been described in historical texts and artwork.
However, the scientific understanding of these phenomena and their underlying physics has been developed over the past few centuries by scientists and researchers in the fields of optics, atmospheric science, and meteorology.
Some early researchers who made significant contributions to the study of atmospheric optics include Christiaan Huygens, Isaac Newton, and Robert Boyle.
More recently, atmospheric scientists and meteorologists have used advanced instruments and computer models to better understand the complex interactions between light and the atmosphere that produce these phenomena.
References and Resources
Check out our complete list of illusions.