sun pillar

noun

Astronomy.

1. a halo phenomenon in which a vertical streak of light appears above and below the sun, believed to be caused by the reflection of sunlight by ice crystals with vertical axes.

Word History and Origins

Origin of sun pillar¹

First recorded in 1900–05

Example Sentences

An unusual phenomenon known as a sun pillar forms between above the sea ice on the Chukchi Sea.

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