Environment
Europe Gets Struck by Urban-Generated 'Light Pillars'
Looking like laser lights from a Metallica concert, this is not your typical aurora borealis.
Envy the people of Finland: They not only get to zone out each year to the tripadelic northern lights, they also have these entrancing "light pillars" shining over the land like fire fountains at a Lordi heavy-metal jam.
Photographer Mika Wist, who lives in the southern city of Hämeenlinna, captured the above view of the light columns from his balcony on Tuesday evening. "These pillars occurred around 8-9 pm and lasted about an hour," he emails. "Outside was -19 °C / -2,2 °F. I haven't seen those for a very long time in the south part of Finland."