Bizarre vertical light phenomena help

In summary: But still, it could be possible, I guess.In summary, a conductor from Ohio encountered a bizarre phenomenon while traveling on a train, in which light beams appeared to shoot vertically into the sky from every light source. This occurred at night and may have been caused by certain atmospheric conditions such as low clouds or fog. It has been explained as a type of sun dogs caused by ice crystals in the air.
  • #1
Billrabara
5
0
Hello,

I work for a class 1 railroad in northwestern Ohio as a conductor. Approximately six months ago traveling down the tracks at a speed of 45-60 mph, en route to Pittsburgh, PA, my engineer and I encountered something bizarre and, for us, baffling. A light beam from every single light source we saw, appeared to shoot vertically, straight up into the sky. This appeared to be happening on every light source like street lights, oncoming locomotive headlights passing on the adjacent track, lights on various tower structures, etc, etc. It looked like the light beams emanated from top of of the lights where the beams appeared laser-like in that, from out vantage point, the beams were rather concentrated and not cone shaped and went straight upward, perpendicular to the ground.
This happened at night and I do not remember if it was raining slightly or the temperature. This happened, as we travelled, for at least ten miles of our journey. Obviously, there must be certain atmospheric conditions that cause this phenomenon.

What was going on? I seen this same thing happen a couple months ago but have no pictures because it is illegal for me to shoot pictures from moving trains (FRA regulations).

Thanks
 
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  • #2
Did you look at all the light sources through a closed window?
 
  • #4
if there was low cloud / fog there may be the possibility of the light forming a visible beam reflecting off the moisture droplets

Considering that most streetlights are shaded to the top it almost rules that out

I like drakkith's comment, he may possibly thinking that on the window the light is streaking
and that would be a strong possibility if the windows were a bit dirty/greasy

Dave
 
  • #5
nice link willem :)

D
 
  • #6
davenn said:
nice link willem :)

D

Yes, very cool. :smile:
 
  • #7
Yes that's it wilhelm! I have seen it twice this past year and I will take a picture next time. The only difference is that I saw the source of the light pillars -- street lights, headlights from cars and trains. I had to have seen over 100 over the course of 20 minutes.
 
  • #8
Sweet. Way to go PF! :biggrin:
 
  • #9
what I can't figure out, is if the streetlight is shaded on its top by its housing
how does a vertical pillar of light get produced ?Dave
 
  • #10
This is really close to how it looked.

Thanks, Wilhelm
 

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  • #11
Billrabara said:
This is really close to how it looked.

Thanks, Wilhelm

Interesting. The pillars go down as well as up, I think. The stars would come from the aperture shape, but did you take this with an apertureless cell phone?
 
  • #12
davenn said:
what I can't figure out, is if the streetlight is shaded on its top by its housing
how does a vertical pillar of light get produced ?Dave

The light isn't forming a vertical pillar. See here: http://www.atoptics.co.uk/halo/lpil.htm
 
  • #13
Thanks Drakkith

that explains it nicely, we live and learn :smile:

The stars would come from the aperture shape, but did you take this with an apertureless cell phone?

that would be my thinking, its easy to get nice starburst patterns around lights with a small aperture f15 - F22 or so
I don't know what the aperture of the avg mobile phone would be ??


Dave
 
  • #14
berkeman said:
Interesting. The pillars go down as well as up, I think. The stars would come from the aperture shape, but did you take this with an apertureless cell phone?

The photo I posted mirrors what it looks like to the naked eye.
 
  • #15
It sounds like your run of the mill light pillars caused by ice crystals in the atmosphere. It is not that uncommon in here in Sweden, I've seen it several times and caught it once with a camera.
 

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  • #16
glappkaeft said:
... It is not that uncommon in here in Sweden, I've seen it several times and caught it once with a camera.

its too hot in Australia to see them :frown:

Dave
 
  • #17
davenn said:
its too hot in Australia to see them :frown:

On the other hand it's not -20 degrees C or lower when you want to look at the sky...
 
  • #18
If it happened 6 months ago (september) in Ohio, I don't think it would be cold enough for ice cristals. record low temperature in Toledo, ohio in september is only -3 celsius.
 
  • #19
Have seen that many, many times while in Alberta, Canada but just during very cold winter nights. Usually more than -20C. Now I know what that was...Thanks.
 
  • #20
willem2 said:
If it happened 6 months ago (september) in Ohio, I don't think it would be cold enough for ice cristals. record low temperature in Toledo, ohio in september is only -3 celsius.

It did happen to me and it was Far East Ohio--- somewhere between the booming metropolises of New Waterford and Alliance. It was in 2013 and I could be off on precisely when I witnessed them occurring (two times last year).
 
  • #21
Don't confuse air temperature at ground level with the temperature of the ice crystals. Ice can form in the atmosphere at any time of the year at that latitude.
 
  • #22
Sounds like a sun dogs; works like a sun dogs. Tiny prisms of ice are suspended in the air, and the wind blowing horizontally aligns the crystals long axis horizontally. These prisms refract the light above and below the light source. This looks like vertical columns of light above (and below) each source.
 
  • #23
abitslow said:
Don't confuse air temperature at ground level with the temperature of the ice crystals. Ice can form in the atmosphere at any time of the year at that latitude.

The ligth from the pillar just above the lightsource is reflected from a spot just above the light source, so there has to be ice at a very low altitude.
 

What causes bizarre vertical light phenomena?

The exact cause of bizarre vertical light phenomena is still unknown and subject to ongoing scientific research. Some theories suggest that these phenomena could be the result of atmospheric disturbances, such as airglow or auroras, while others propose that they could be caused by natural electrical discharges or even extraterrestrial activity.

Where and when can bizarre vertical light phenomena be seen?

Bizarre vertical light phenomena have been reported in various locations around the world, including Norway, Australia, and Mexico. They tend to occur during the nighttime, although some sightings have been reported during the day as well. However, these phenomena are rare and unpredictable, making it difficult to determine where and when they can be seen.

Are bizarre vertical light phenomena dangerous?

There is no evidence to suggest that bizarre vertical light phenomena pose any danger to humans. However, some scientists caution against getting too close to these phenomena, as they can sometimes be accompanied by unusual sounds or electrical disturbances.

How do scientists study bizarre vertical light phenomena?

Scientists use a variety of methods to study bizarre vertical light phenomena, including high-speed cameras, spectrographs, and radio receivers. They also analyze eyewitness accounts and use computer simulations to better understand the physical processes behind these phenomena.

Can bizarre vertical light phenomena be replicated or created artificially?

Currently, there is no known way to artificially create or replicate bizarre vertical light phenomena. However, some researchers are working on developing technologies that could potentially simulate these phenomena in controlled environments for scientific study.

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