In the crisp winter twilight over Asheville’s Blue Ridge Mountains, Badger – having photographed roughly a thousand sunrises and sunsets – paused to watch the sun slip below the horizon at a favorite vantage point. The sky flared with familiar oranges and golds, but this time something extraordinary unfolded: a rare sun pillar rose vertically from the hidden orb below the horizon of Beaucatcher Mountain. The brilliant golden shaft pierced the clouds like a beacon as Badger’s thought was, “It’s a Stairway to Heaven.”
Those who know tell me that sun pillars (also called solar pillars) are formed by sunlight reflecting off countless horizontally aligned hexagonal ice crystals in high-altitude cirrus clouds. This particular pillar glowed amber at its base and rose almost perfectly vertical before fading into the deepening blue above, lasting several minutes in the calm, frigid air.
Even after all those sunsets, Badger knew this one was exceptional. Sun pillars are uncommon optical phenomena that require precise conditions, including a low sun angle, perfectly oriented suspended or falling ice crystals, and still air. They also say that such a celestial phenomenon aligns that way in fewer than 1 in 1,000 sunrises or sunsets in most locations.
In Asheville’s variable mountain weather, there are occasional winter surprises rather than everyday events, making this sighting a standout amid my extensive collection of twilight captures – evoking Led Zeppelin’s iconic imagery of an ethereal ascent. Even a seasoned sky watcher like Badger can be astonished by one of nature’s true rarities.
Many of the HoneyBadgerImages are on display at instagram.com/honeybadgerimages.
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