Icy weather gripping Western Canada is illuminating the night sky above Alberta with strange columns of light. Darlene Tanner, a photographer who specializes in capturing storms and other night sky sights, has been among the skywatchers lucky enough to glimpse a strange phenomenon called light pillars. While light pillars are not rare, few people get the chance to see them, Tanner said. The recent cold snap has made for the perfect conditions for light pillars, sometimes mistaken for northern lights, Doktor said. "They usually only form when you have enough ice crystals in the atmosphere.

Source: CBC News February 12, 2019 19:39 UTC