Stunning pillars phenomena lights up Pennsylvania sky

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A light pillar is an atmospheric optical phenomenon in the form of a vertical band of light
It occurs when natural or artificial light is reflected from tiny ice crystals floating close to the ground suspended in the atmosphere or clouds
Numerous individuals saw them appear in the sky above northeast Pennsylvania

Published: 16:07 EST, 3 February 2017 | Updated: 16:15 EST, 3 February 2017

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Strange lights in the sky over Pennsylvania saw one woman grab her camera to snap a photo of the unusual and ethereal sight.

Brittany Smarkusky was driving home in her car when she witnessed beautiful 'pillars of light' hovering in the clouds over Wyoming County, near Scranton.

'It was such a strange sight. I was happy when someone explained what it was,' she wrote on Facebook alongside a picture of the stunning view. 'I was a little creeped out at first.'

People in Pennsylvanie were able to see light pillars in the sky. They occur when the light perfectly hits ice crystals in the air

'It was so strange,' Brittany told AOL. 'I was like, 'Oh, my God! It's an alien abduction!' I don't know. It was crazy!'

'They were in the entire night sky, and it was pitch dark out, and it was amazing how the camera picked up all the color and all the lights,'

The phenomenon can be explained, however: the streaks of light are known as light pillars and are visible when there are certain conditions in the atmosphere which sees light reflecting off ice crystals in the sky.

Other people in the area also managed to snap pictures of the icy phenomenon

WNEP meteorologist Joe Snedeker provided some further explanation: 'It was a very cold, dry night that night, and in the atmosphere, there are little plates of ice.

'As they tumble through the atmosphere, they reflect light when the plates are perfectly aligned, so you're seeing the reflection from a light source,' he said online.

The light can come from the Sun, usually when it is near or even below the horizon.

However, it can also come from the moon or from even ground based light sources such as streetlights.