PILLARS OF VENUS: Carol Lakomiak of Tomahawk, WI, was enjoying a twilight gathering of planets on April 9th when she spotted something rare and beautiful: a Venus Pillar. When the air is cold and Venus is rising or setting, falling ice crystals can reflect the planet's light and create a vertical glowing column. Better-known Sun pillars happen for the same reason.

Above: "Venus looked very strange that night," says Lakomiak. "When viewed through my 11x70 binoculars, I saw beams of light jutting from the top and bottom of the planet, and there were moments when they were visible without optical aid."