A Rare Sun Pillar Before Sunrise
This image captures the stunning optical phenomenon of a sun pillar. The sun itself remains below the horizon and will not rise for another fifteen minutes.
A sun pillar forms when sunlight reflects off tiny, hexagonal ice crystals suspended in the atmosphere. These ice crystals, typically flat and plate-like, tend to align horizontally as they drift downward (assuming calm conditions). Acting as tiny mirrors, they reflect sunlight toward the observer, creating the illusion of a vertical column of light. Because the crystals are scattered at varying altitudes, the effect appears as a continuous, glowing pillar.
Thin, ice-crystal-rich clouds can enhance this phenomenon, as seen in the image. Interestingly, some observers initially mistook the bright patch in the sky for the sun itself, believing it to be obscured by clouds. It was only when the sun eventually rose—unveiling its full brilliance above the horizon—that they realized their mistake (see my next post for that moment).
This photograph was taken in southern Styria, Austria, near the Slovenian border. In post-processing, I aimed to preserve the scene’s original impression and depict the phenomenon as faithfully as possible. However, due to the high contrast between the sky and the landscape, I had to slightly brighten the foreground to maintain visual balance.
A Rare Sun Pillar Before Sunrise
This image captures the stunning optical phenomenon of a sun pillar. The sun itself remains below the horizon and will not rise for another fifteen minutes.
A sun pillar forms when sunlight reflects off tiny, hexagonal ice crystals suspended in the atmosphere. These ice crystals, typically flat and plate-like, tend to align horizontally as they drift downward (assuming calm conditions). Acting as tiny mirrors, they reflect sunlight toward the observer, creating the illusion of a vertical column of light. Because the crystals are scattered at varying altitudes, the effect appears as a continuous, glowing pillar.
Thin, ice-crystal-rich clouds can enhance this phenomenon, as seen in the image. Interestingly, some observers initially mistook the bright patch in the sky for the sun itself, believing it to be obscured by clouds. It was only when the sun eventually rose—unveiling its full brilliance above the horizon—that they realized their mistake (see my next post for that moment).
This photograph was taken in southern Styria, Austria, near the Slovenian border. In post-processing, I aimed to preserve the scene’s original impression and depict the phenomenon as faithfully as possible. However, due to the high contrast between the sky and the landscape, I had to slightly brighten the foreground to maintain visual balance.