Photo credit: Sophie Melanson
This is not an optical illusion, just real light pillars that were captured over Canada by photographer Sophie Melanson. This phenomenon occurs when either natural or artificial light bounces off ice crystals floating close to the ground. In this case, the air was so frigid that ice crystals were forming in the air, all the while reflecting the city’s street and business lights. Continue reading for more pictures and information.
“The sky all around us was lit up by these multi-colored pillars. I just looked outside around 11pm [Dec. 29, 2017] before heading to bed (as I almost always do) and noticed it these faint pillars and they kept getting brighter and brighter as more and more appeared all around. Finally went to bed around 1am. They were getting fainter. Woke up around 6am, I looked outside and they were still there,” said Sophie.
