We were headed home after a brief excursion into the Sierra Nevada foothills, and as we enjoyed the colorful sunset we noticed a solar pillar (or sun pillar). The pillar is caused by light reflecting off of ice crystals in the upper troposphere (the part of the atmosphere that we live in and where most weather occurs). It's maybe not the most vivid ever seen, but they always catch my attention. Now, if we could just get the auroras down south into California tonight!