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Subsuns & Pillars |
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About - Submit | Optics Picture of the Day | Galleries | Previous | Next | Today |  |
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| Subsuns and lower pillars are both reflections from myriad horizontal plate crystals. Each crystal glints sun rays from its upper or lower hexagonal face. Well aligned - by aerodynamic drag forces - crystals have these faces horizontal to better than one degree. That produces a subsun, an almost circular solar reflection. Large less well oriented crystals can wobble several degrees and a sun pillar results. Crystal tilt is the only real distinction between the two. |
