﻿ 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 __________________________________________________________________ [20]< | [21]Archive | [22]Submissions | [23]Index | [24]Search | [25]Calendar | [26]RSS | [27]Education | [28]About APOD | [29]Discuss | [30]> __________________________________________________________________ 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/