Light Pillars

Sun Pillar: Image from National Geographic

I knew about sun dogs and the green flash but when I saw a straight shaft of orange-pink light shooting straight up from the setting sun last week I was amazed, and after a quick google search I discovered I just saw my first sun pillar. I wonder if these are common and I just haven’t been watching enough winter sunsets? 

From Atmosphere Optics:

“[Sun pillars] are narrow columns of light apparently beaming directly up and sometimes downward from the sun. They can be 5 -10º tall and occasionally even higher. Pillars are not actually vertical rays, they are instead the collective glints of millions of ice crystals.  Pillars take on the colors of the sun and clouds, they can appear white and at other times shades of yellow, red or purple. ”