Sun Pillar Reflection on the Holtsós Lagoon
May 09, 2022
Photographer: Gianluca Lombardi
Summary Authors: Gianluca Lombardi; Cadan Cummings
The photo above taken on the Holtsós Lagoon in Southern Iceland highlights the calm wind moving across the water and a sun pillar on the horizon. Due to the calm waters, a reflection of the sun pillar is clearly visible on the lagoon along with the silhouette of the Vestmannaeyjar (Western Islands). A sun pillar is a form of optical phenomenon caused when hexagonal shaped ice crystals suspended in the atmosphere are oriented horizontally and reflect incoming sunlight toward an observer. Pillar hue can vary based on environmental conditions, such as cloud cover and Sun color. The silence and calm made everything very surreal.