Ice needles are an atmospheric phenomenon that has been observed more than once in Russia and other countries. Sometimes it is even called the northern lights, but these are different concepts. What is an ice needle? And how is it formed?
Atmospheric events and precipitation
The atmosphere is the outer shell of our planet and consists of a mixture of various gases. Physicochemical processes are constantly taking place in it, which determine the weather conditions on Earth. The visible manifestation of these processes is called atmospheric phenomena.
Their spectrum is very wide and includes both the phenomena that are familiar to us (rain, snow, hail, hoarfrost, dew, flurry, thunder, etc.), as well as rather rare ones (halo, solar poles). Usually emit optical and electrical phenomena, hydrometeors and lithometeors.
An ice needle refers to hydrometeors or precipitation. They are solid or liquid water that is released from the air or falls out of the clouds. Hydrometeors are snow, ice, rain, fog and other phenomena associated with water. They affect the weather and climate in different parts of the world.
Ice needle
Many people at least once dreamed of seeing the aurora. To do this, they are even ready to go closer to the poles. But the glow of the sky occurs not only in high latitudes. The reason for this may be an ice needle, which, out of ignorance, is also called the northern lights. Of course, these phenomena are completely different in both impressions and origin.
The phenomenon of ice needles is noticeable both day and night. In the light of the sun, they sparkle in the sky like ice floes. At night they appear in the form of hundreds of colored glowing pillars, reflecting the light of the moon and lanterns. They are clearly visible in the night sky, as they form in clear weather.
Another name for this phenomenon is ice dust. In foreign sources, it is also called diamond dust. It occurs during the winter frost, when the temperature drops to 10-15 degrees below zero. In recent years, ice dust has been observed more than once in Ufa, Tyumen, Moscow, in Ukraine and Belarus. Most often, the phenomenon occurs in the Arctic regions.
