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I have captured for La Vanguardia Readers’ Photos this sequence of images of the sunrise on Calafell beach, where a beautiful solar pillar stands out reflected on the water of the Mediterranean Sea.
Calafell, in the Baix Penedès region, is a family destination on the Costa Daurada. One of its attractions in winter is watching its sunrises and sunsets from the promenade.
A pillar light is an atmospheric optical phenomenon in which a vertical beam of light appears to extend above and/or below a light source.
The effect is created by the reflection of light from small ice crystals that are suspended in the atmosphere or that comprise high-altitude clouds (for example, cirrostratus or cirrus clouds).
If the light comes from the sun (generally when it is near or even below the horizon), the phenomenon is called a solar pillar, as in this case in Calafell.
