"Beam me up, Scotty!"
That might be the first thought that pops into your head when looking at these pictures from Monday night.
Other WRAL Top Stories
The first is from James Benson, a local photographer, who captured this phenomenon in Grantham.
Brian Schmock sent us a picture of light pillars Monday night in Silk Hope.
(If you're unfamiliar with Silk Hope, it's in Chatham County between Pittsboro and Siler City.)
What are light pillars and how do they form?
Light pillars are a rare atmospheric phenomenon/illusion, in which light is refracted vertically in both the upward and downward directions.
The air temperature needs to be 15°F or less just above the surface. When looking at upper-level air data (at about the 3,000-foot level) Monday night, you can see where that was the case - mainly near and west of US-1.
Most often, these form when artificial street lights are bent or refracted by ice crystals close to the ground.
These crystals need to be plate-like structures in a hexagonal shape. These ice crystals should be flat/parallel to the ground while either falling or remaining suspended. Any tilt of the crystal would take away the potential for the light to be scattered in such a way that would create the pillar appearance.
The height at which these crystals appear impact how tall they may appear.
If you have any pictures of this rare illusion, send them to use through ReportIt.
Have questions about the weather and how it works?
Send me an email with the subject line 'Ask the Meteorologist:' to cmichaels@wral.com.