Light Pillars in Minnesota

We had 'light pillars' last night all around the Twin Cities.
VERY-VERY-COOL!!

http://wcco.com/slideshows/local_slideshow_337220001/view?slide=1

http://wcco.com/slideshows/local_slideshow_337220001/view?slide=5

If you've never seen them, they are like a ground based localized version of
the Northern Lights - only they're all around you.

It looks like 1,000 search lights all pointing straight up to the heavens.
The pictures on the TV website DO NOT do the view justice. And colors too.
Simply beautiful.

Why, on nights like these, the ground source light doesn't diffuse more as
it goes up is beyond me - as you can see in the links, pillars of light are
formed ...somehow??


Montblack
In my lifetime I've seen light pillars fill the night sky - twice now.