Strange lights appeared over several western Kansas towns, so what are they?
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.
Light pillars in the night sky. (Photo Courtesy/National Weather Service)
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.
For more weather news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here.
Филиал № 4 ОСФР по Москве и Московской области информирует:
Родители 240,5 тыс. детей в Московской области получают единое пособие
Филиал № 4 ОСФР по Москве и Московской области информирует:
В Московском регионе более 62 тысяч семей распорядились материнским капиталом через банки
Вебкам-студия MONTANA в Санкт-Петербурге
Филиал № 4 ОСФР по Москве и Московской области информирует:
Более 12 тысяч жителей Москвы и Московской области получают повышенную пенсию за работу в сельском хозяйстве
The latest friendship-ruining co-op game on Steam is a punishing platformer where you're chained to your pals, and it's about to crack 100,000 concurrent players
Прохождение элитного подземелья «Лесной алтарь» в Tarisland
Dustborn let me smash fascists and flirt with my situationship on a road trip across America
Вратарь «Композита» об игре на Сахалине в 4 утра по Москве: «Как выползли из самолета – поняли, что нас ждет. Из аэропорта – сразу на стадион, когда горели 0:3, осознал – сил нет. Хорошо, никто не уснул, ха-ха»
Курсанты Пермского военного института Росгвардии приняли участие в межведомственной олимпиаде по дрессировке служебных собак
Контрольный матч. "Спартак" обыграл "Торпедо".
Спортсмены из Мытищ победители на соревнованиях по акробатическому рок-н-роллу
