Beam me up: Scientists left baffled as mysterious columns of coloured light

[G_j]

Beam me up: Scientists left baffled as mysterious columns of coloured light appear in the night skies
By Mail Foreign ServiceLast updated at 11:29 AM on 15th January 2009

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These stunning images show mysterious columns of light streaming into the sky above the town of Sigulda in Latvia at the end of last month.

Taken by designer Aigar Truhins with a standard digital camera, the photographs have prompted excited online discussions among amateur astronomists all over the internet.

(photos at link)

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1117264/Beam-Scientists-left-baffled-mysterious-columns-coloured-light-appear-night-skies.html

[The Straight Story]

1. Earth or god giving us a light show to celebrate bush leaving

look for more beautiful wonders from nature as we strive to take care of the planet and not rush to destroy like many on the rw want to do :)

[petronius]

7. It is really beautiful - wish I'd been there to see it (except for the extreme cold, of course)

However, upwardly directed street light is also referred to as 'light pollution' - so maybe it's the rwingers we have to thank for this wasteful display... :silly:

[BlooInBloo]

2. Well obviously it's magic.

[The Straight Story]

3. no no no, it was bored aliens from planet X who forgot their crop circle making gear

so they settled for lights.

[Mojorabbit]

4. The world is a magical place. nt

[acmavm]

9. There are more things on Heaven and Earth, Horatio...

It can be.

[sutz12]

5. Maybe it's the opening salvo in the rapture...

I know of a few they missed over here.

;)

[The Straight Story]

6. God testing out his new rapture machine running linux, first one was on windows and crashed

Bill gates is going to hell now.

[acmavm]

8. How beautiful.

[lonestarnot]

10. Way cool.

[BrklynLiberal]

11. What exquisite pictures!!!!!

Whatever it it, it is a real visual treat...

[G_j]

15. that's what I thought nt

[zbdent]

12. Dr. Doom is up to his old tricks ... call in the Fantastic Four ...

oh, wait ... that's Latveria ...

[Ikonoklast]

13. I've seen that very same effect one extremely cold morning.

With a fine icy fog in the still air, and above every street lamp there was a jet of light shooting into the sky.

Above the traffic signals the light color changed as the signal changed.

[SidDithers]

14. Not really baffled...

also in the link:

But experts are agreed there may be a more prosaic explanation - ice crystals in the air.

The air above the town was notably cold and filled with suspended ice crystals.

It is believed that the columns were formed by those reflecting light from the bright streetlamps and other lights on the ground - beaming it back downwards again.

Skies all over Europe have been filled with such natural phenomena during the cold snap of recent weeks.

Sid