A Pillar of Light Runs Through It [UPDATES2]

Anyone recall Da-da mentioning something about "Pillars of Light"? This is one. In Michigan. And no, it's not part of a power plant explosion, though the authorities will probably say things like that. This is only the beginning -- and it's a good thing, so relax. However, it should be noted that... THAT'S A LIGHT BEING. An entity. A highly placed one. They're not exactly ETs, though they do come from somewhere else. They're coming here for something special, what they call, "The Big Show." Anyway, here are Da-da's previous 'Pillars of Light' posts:

http://amancalleddada.blogspot.com/2014/11/da-da-dreams-light-end-of-stick.html

http://amancalleddada.blogspot.com/2014/01/three-nearly-solved-mysteries-for.html

http://amancalleddada.blogspot.com/2012/08/pay-no-attention-to-pillars-of-light.html

Yes, Da-da knows these are caused by ice crystals.

[UPDATE1: Lynn the Internet Oracle has also written about this today, HERE.]

[UPDATE2: Talk about fresh reports -- Da-da's had a report from HIS MOTHER (!) of a Pillar of Light in an unpopulated area in northern Idaho. Note that Da-da's mother has NEVER seen anything weird, save Da-da's father.]

Part I: The Beginning

Parry arcs, a Sun pillar, a parhelion, a halo and four other types of ice crystal arcs.
All rare. All appearing at the same moment. It begins. [click for larger image]

Da-da Dreams: Lux Aurumque

Break on through...

Da-da's dreams. They've been more and more interesting lately. Why is that interesting? Because Da-da's just an average person. No special powers per se... save for one: Da-da pays attention. Da-da is awake. Rather than explain that, he'll move on.

Last night's dream: Da-da was at some event with lots of people sitting in an audience, waiting for a show to begin. But before it could, everyone suddenly began to sing, "Lux Aurumque" (in Latin) by Eric Whitacre, a choral genius who's not a household name... yet. We were pretty good, for it being our first performance, with an audience who was us. Lux-wise, Da-da's sure you've never heard of the tune, sung a cappela, but you will. Here are the lyrics:

Lux Aurumque
[by Eric Whitacre (based on a poem by Edward Esch)]

[sung in Latin]

Lux,
calida 
gravisque 
pura 
velut aurum
et canunt angeli 
moliter
modo natum.


[English trans.]

Light,
warm 
heavy 
as pure gold
and the angels sing 
softly
to the new-born baby. 

That baby is you, baby. Welcome.

You can hear the best version HERE, by the St. Olaf Choir in Norway, for $0.99. No, Da-da doesn't make anything off it. He just wants to help. A bargain both ways, because you are the greatest anomaly of them all.

Almost there.

Antarctic Enlightenment??

Jeez, hurry up with the enlightenment, huh? Da-da can't hold his breath forever, ya know.

What the heck is happening at Neumayer Station in Antarctica? In this time-lapse footage from yesterday, snowcats are seen leaving en masse as if they're evacuating, followed immediately by a strange, station-engulfing light. Da-da's been watching these feeds for years and he's never seen lights on the station saturating the camera sensors in this way. Perhaps someone at the South Pole has achieved enlightenment? We can only hope.

Three (Nearly) Solved Mysteries for a Saturday Evening: Elliptical Halos, Pyramidal Light Pillars and... SIBLING RIVALRY?

As recently reported at SpaceWeather, scientists are puzzled as to how elliptical ice halos like the one above form in the atmosphere. Physicists were looking at specific shapes of ice crystals for the cause, but Da-da thinks it might be simpler than that. All you need to recreate this is a flashlight and a small sheet of glass.

Hold the flashlight away from you, with the piece of glass (representing the ice crystals) between you and the light beam. Hold the glass normal/perpendicular to the beam. Now change the aspect ratio of the glass, so that it tilts side to side, up or down. Notice how the light circle the beam makes on the glass changes to that of an oval. Ice crystals in the air mimic this with changes in wind direction/aspect normal to the light source, creating the elliptical halo we see above.

That could also be contributing to light pillar phenomema in cold climates, but Da-da's not convinced about that one. Speaking of light pillars...

...these kind are bizarre. Da-da has no explanation, save for unicorns. It's ALWAYS unicorns these days. (Jeez, when was it NOT?) It's interesting to note that Central American pyramids were constructed with huge sheets of Brazilian mica at specific levels. Why? Perhaps to make great light pillars. Or perhaps they left an inner mica-free channel in the inner part of the pyramid to... channel energy? Create a beacon to come see the Mayan Unicorn Show? Da-da has no idea, and he doubts anyone's going to let him dissect a Central American pyramid anytime soon. (Da-da will do it cheap, btw.)

As for sibling rivalry...

Looks like it's working!

Da-da's latest sibling rivalry experiment involves quilted vests, duct tape collars, foil-lined helmets and silver body paint. Stay tuned.