9/12/2002: Light pillars
 

http://cellar.org/2002/lightpillars.jpg

Didn't I mention I was going to skip 9/11 this year? After the day seems more serious than anyone has originally thought, I decided to take a vacation. Folks looking for 9/11 links should look at Samizdata's collection of British shop signs, in which it would appear that many London shopkeepers decided to have a moment of silence at the time of the attack. As a US person I can only say thanks to the British. Their fine cultural sense and love of humanity is evident.

Meanwhile, though, it's back to the APOD for today's image. We had the "sun pillar" as an Image of the Day a while back. These light pillars are similar. They happen when the temperature is around freezing. When ice crystals form in the air as a type of light snow, they can flutter and reflect light only at certain angles. The light being reflected here is from an ice-skating complex in Anchorage.

I have this weird obsession with Alaska. I want to go there so bad. I also have a weird obsession with Oklahoma. Maybe it's a call to my Native roots. *shrugs*

Beautiful, it looks like the spruce tops are shooting light. Lets skate! Game on!

wtf? Why? Do you know what OK is like? Damn Sooners.

Alaska aw yeah - friend of mine just came back and is sending out vacation shots from Glacier Bay, AK. It really makes me want to go. Someday. It's pretty expensive though.

re: OK
I think he's channeling a deep Roger's and Hammerstein thang. You know, where the wind comes sweeping down the plain, surreys with fringe, farmers and cow men,...girls that caint say no...

Alaska smoke dope
 

Baked Alaska is absolutely incredible. Something about flaming cold things is unbelieveable.

Alaska (the state) is one of the most astounding places that I've never been but desperately feel the urge to visit. I wanna see icebergs calve from glaciers from a few hundred meters away. It reminds me of my rather insignificant existence and puts me in my place for a bit.

Meringue as culinary asbestos.

My great-grandfather was born in Oklahoma Territory in 1902...he was part Cherokee. Unfortunately, we don't know a whole lot about his background, or when he moved to Missouri. Somehow he wound up meeting my great-grandmother near Jefferson City, MO (which is where she grew up), and they relocated to St. Louis around 1929 or 1930.

I've been to OK once...1996...NE corner of the state...beautiful.

I suspect your beef with OK is mainly with OU, blowmee. I expect nothing less out of a UT fan. That's alright...we know that UT is a throw in from another conference. ;)

feh.

I love these
 

Just abstract pretty lights.

I'm confused. Do you like your great-great grandfather, or do you like Oklahoma?

I never met my great-grandfather...he died in 1960. So, I don't have an opinion on him. From what the family tells me, he was a hard-drinking mean ol' SOB. *shrugs*

I do like Oklahoma, at least what I have seen.

Re: 9/12/2002: Light pillars
 

Oooh, does diffraction play a part here? Or do each of those pillars correspond to evenly-spaced lights around the skating complex?

Good ol' college physics class. Bad ol' memory.