Sun Pillar

This unusual sunset that appeared in northeast Missouri on Thanksgiving evening is sometimes referred to as a sun pillar. Sun pillars are: Vertical beams of light that appear to extend above and/or below a light source, like the setting sun. The red color is a result of the same light scattering that causes red sunsets. Sunlight passes through the atmosphere, and shorter wavelengths (like blue and violet) are scattered away by air molecules, leaving the longer red and orange wavelengths to dominate. They occur when a large number of ice crystals suspended in the air, usually from high-altitude cirrus clouds or diamond dust.