Explanation:
Sometimes the unknown is beautiful.
In 2000 February near Lake Tahoe,
Nevada,
two amateur photographers noticed an unusual red
column of light rise
mysteriously from a setting sun.
During the next few minutes, they were able to capture the
pillar and a
photogenic sunset on film.
Pictured above, the
red column is seen above a serene
Lake Tahoe
and snow-capped mountains across from
Lake Tahoe-Nevada State Park.
The mysterious column, they learned later, is a
Sun Pillar,
a phenomenon where sunlight reflects off of distant falling
ice crystals.
