GOODLAND (KSNT) - A National Weather Service (NWS) station in western Kansas captured strange lights in the night sky amid freezing temperatures and bouts of snowfall.
The NWS station in Goodland posted a photo to social media on Jan. 11 of odd lights shining in the distance. Were these part of the northern lights, a similar aurora display or something else entirely?
The social media post explains these strange lights as being part of a peculiar display known as light pillars. These are not rare and are considered to be quite common. The Goodland NWS station has shared photos of them over the past few years, often during periods of extreme cold and snowy weather.
The NWS says these long pillars of multi-colored light appear all around the world and are formed from tiny crystals of ice in the atmosphere. With ice being thin and shaped in a specific way, this leads to the effect spotted in Goodland. As the ice drifts downward, it falls almost horizontally. Combined with the reflective nature of ice, this leads to light bouncing off and creating the display known as light pillars.
This phenomenon is likened to a vertically stacked mirror floating in the sky by the NWS. Strong sources of light, like the sun, moon or cities, help to create the effect.
Have you spotted a unique weather phenomenon or other unexplainable sights in the atmosphere? Send it to matthew.self@ksnt.com to have it investigated.
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