Strange Vertical Lights Pop Up In Michigan Sky

Michigan residents in Gaylord were shocked when they saw pillars of light in the sky on Thursday night (January 6).

The strange lights weren't the normal "UFO" sighting of circles or dots in the sky. Instead, they were beams of light shooting down from the clouds.

Luckily, the US National Weather Service for Gaylord reassured residents of the city that there was a simple explanation to the odd phenomenon.

In a Facebook post, the US National Weather Service wrote:

"Light pillars last night in Gaylord, Michigan. Light pillars appear as a shaft of light extending vertically above the light source. They develop as a result of ice crystals slowly falling through the air, reflecting the light source off of them. #lightpillars"

The Facebook post also included two photos of the light pillars.

To better explain what exactly light pillars are, AccuWeather says light pillars are "an optical phenomenon caused when light is refracted by ice crystals. These lights tend to take on the color of the light source.

"They appear as beams of light to the observer. It is usually caused by street lights. However, any source of light can create a light pillar given proper conditions," AccuWeather Meteorologist David Samuhel said.