Sun Pillar Over Victoria Beach, Manitoba
November 29, 2012
Photographer: Federico Buchbinder; Federico's Web site
Summary Authors: Federico Buchbinder; Jim Foster
The photo above shows a glorious Sun pillar as observed at sunset over ice-choked Lake Winnipeg, near Victoria Beach, Manitoba. Sunlight bouncing off hexagonal ice crystals causes this phenomenon, but the crystals must be similarly oriented and tipped slightly in the direction of the viewer in order for a pillar to form. Note that the various red shades of the cloud deck result from greater scattering (increased path length) of sunlight when the Sun lies close to the horizon. Reflections, however, typically exhibit just one color. Though this pillar is yellow, others may appear in shades from lemon to lavender. Photo taken on November 15, 2012 at 4:41 p.m.
Photo details: Camera Maker: NIKON CORPORATION; Camera Model: NIKON D700; Lens: 24.0-70.0 mm f/2.8; Focal Length: 70.0mm (35mm equivalent: 70mm); Focus Distance: 4294967295.00m; Aperture: f/22.0; Exposure Time: 0.500 s (1/2); ISO equiv: 200; Exposure Bias: none; Metering Mode: Center Weight; Exposure: Manual; Exposure Mode: Manual; White Balance: Manual; Light Source: Shade; Flash Fired: No; Color Space: sRGB; Software: Adobe Photoshop Elements 9.0 Windows.