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Hi All:

A very strange sunset as there was a tower or spire rising from the sun that was just below the horizon for about 10-minutes. The spire was much higher when seen with the naked eye in person.

Any ideas what caused this sunset phenomena?

Sunset in Autumn

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/2/Sunset_Spire.jpg

Taken with a Canon PowerShot ELPH 100 HS in Kenosha WI. on Dec. 6, 2011.

Wayne

GIMF.

http://www.spireweather.co.uk/html/optical.html

See "Sun Pillar". It's a UK site so it might be called something different here.

Darn and I thought it was ET phoning home again. (BTW I am in a unusual weird mood today, so disregard any posts by me with this date).

Colin has it right. The same phenomenon can be viewed from other light sources as well when it is darker. When I was working down in Sleepy Eye, MN (of Little House on the Prairie fame) back in 2004 I saw this effect in the very early morning with vertical shafts of light extending hundreds of feet into the air from any light source with an upward radiance component. It was amusing to be able to see the locations of cars as they progressed behind hills that ordinarily would have completely hidden the headlights.

http://i1090.photobucket.com/albums/i371/___biohaz___/Aliens.jpg