Astronomy Picture of the Day

   [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                                2024 March 4
   [2]Numerous thin pillars of light connect a landscape filled with snow
    to a star filled sky. The Big Dipper can be seen through the colorful
     pillars. Please see the explanation for more detailed information.

                      Light Pillars Over Inner Mongolia
                   Image Credit & Copyright: [3]N. D. Liao

   Explanation: What's happening across that field? Pictured here are not
   [4]auroras but nearby [5]light pillars, a phenomenon typically much
   closer. In most places on [6]Earth, a lucky viewer can see a [7]Sun
   pillar, a column of light appearing to extend up from the [8]Sun caused
   by flat fluttering [9]ice-crystals reflecting sunlight from the
   [10]upper atmosphere. Usually, these ice [11]crystals evaporate before
   reaching the ground. During freezing temperatures, however, [12]flat
   fluttering [13]ice crystals may form near the ground in a form of
   [14]light snow sometimes known as a [15]crystal fog. These ice crystals
   may then reflect ground lights in columns not unlike a [16]Sun pillar.
   The featured image was taken last month across the [17]Wulan Butong
   Grasslands in [18]Inner Mongolia, [19]China.

                      Tomorrow's picture: star painters
     __________________________________________________________________

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    Authors & editors: [31]Robert Nemiroff ([32]MTU) & [33]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([34]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Amber Straughn; [35]Specific rights apply.
              [36]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices
                A service of: [37]ASD at [38]NASA / [39]GSFC,
                         [40]NASA Science Activation
                           & [41]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2403/PillarsMongolia_Liao_6240.jpg
   3. mailto: gundam_cn at qq.com
   4. https://www.mtu.edu/tour/copper-country/northern-lights/
   5. https://atoptics.co.uk/blog/light-pillars/
   6. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap100713.html
   7. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap010313.html
   8. https://science.nasa.gov/sun/
   9. https://atoptics.co.uk/blog/real-crystals/
  10. https://www.nasa.gov/image-article/earths-upper-atmosphere/
  11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crystal
  12. https://i.imgur.com/ELtLVZy.jpeg
  13. https://www.lwpetersen.com/atmospheric-optics/light-pillars/
  14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240121.html
  15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap231220.html
  16. http://apod.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search?tquery="sun pillar"
  17. https://youtu.be/u5ap7c91Sbg
  18. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inner_Mongolia
  19. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China
  20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240303.html
  21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  24. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  26. https://apod.com/feed.rss
  27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  29. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=240304
  30. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240305.html
  31. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  32. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  33. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  34. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  35. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  36. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  37. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  38. https://www.nasa.gov/
  39. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  40. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  41. http://www.mtu.edu/