Untere Lichtsäule (EE09)

The light pillar is a vertical beam of light above or below the sun. Usually, only the upper light pillar can be seen. It has about the same width and color as the sun. The upper light pillar is best observed shortly after sunset. It then looks like the light of a strong searchlight rising vertically above the horizon. At sunset, the color is still orange-white. A few minutes after sunset, the pillar becomes increasingly orange-red and fades 20-60 minutes after sunset. When the light pillar is fully developed, its tip can sometimes be seen to be diffusely broadened. This is the upper tangent arc, whose arms form an acute angle when the sun is low. The height of the light pillar can be well over 30° in ice fog. However, usually only a 5-10° high pillar is observed. If both the upper and lower light pillars, as well as part of the parhelic circle are visible, a cross appears in the sky. Such an impressive phenomenon was often regarded in the Middle Ages as a sign from God.