Quirks & Questions: What the heck are those light pillars?

Image | pillar lights

Caption: Elzinga captured the photos on his cellphone camera. (Timothy Joseph Elzinga)

Earlier this week, a photograph of mysterious "light pillars" went viral.
A Quirks & Quarks listener saw the same phenomenon. The experience prompted Mark Talbot to send us a message through Facebook, asking what causes them.
Dr. Paul Delaney(external link), professor of Physics and Astronomy at York University, answers Mark's question on this week's program.
If you've got a question get in touch: quirks@cbc.ca​ - Facebook(external link) - Twitter(external link)