Astronomy Picture of the Day . ... 8.02.2016 . ... In most places on Earth , a lucky viewer can see a Sun-pillar , a column of light appearing to extend up from the Sun caused by flat fluttering ice-crystals reflecting sunlight from the upper atmosphere . Usually these ice crystals evaporate before reaching the ground. ... These ice crystals may then reflect ground lights in columns not unlike a Sun-pillar . ... Publications with keywords: ice crystals . Publications with words: ice crystals . ...