Residents of the city of Tyumen in the Siberian region of Russia have just witnessed a rare phenomenon on the first night of winter when columns of light like blue and orange color the sky before dawn.
When looking up at the sky at night, locals can see many vertical beams of sparkling light . They shine everywhere until the sun rises.
Many people poured into the street to take pictures of this phenomenon to share on social networks, according to RT channel (Russia).
To the imaginative, this scene might look like an alien invasion. Pillars of light sparkled like sparks from flying saucers that landed in Tyumen City to deploy extraterrestrial forces.
Columns of blue and orange light in the Siberian sky. (Photo: Tote Licht – Ruptly).
However, it seems that the locals are not panicking because these light pillars are not so rare there.
According to the explanation of scientists, this is an optical phenomenon that occurs at the time after sunset and before dawn. When that happens, the sun is near or below the horizon in sub–20 degrees Celsius temperatures and high humidity.
This spectacular effect is created by the reflection of light from small ice crystals suspended in the atmosphere or forming clouds overhead.
These colorful pillars of light can be seen at any time of the night.