sunset - what's one of these called?

[GazK]

Shortly after sunset tonight, driving home, I saw this phenomenon:

The orange glow near the horizon is *not* the sun - that had set. To the eye it had the appearance of a vertical column of light, rising maybe 5 degrees above the horizon.

Can anyone advise what this is called, and what causes it? Preferably without using the phrase "a billion trillion dying suns" or standing on top of a mountain?

[brianb]

It's a sun pillar - caused by ice cloud. Nice illustration!

[GazK]

Aah, thanks Brian - there are some cracking images of the phenomenon on google. It was a somewhat hasty photoshoot - pulled over by the side of the road on the way home using my cameraphone.

[Talitha]

Have a look around Les Cowley's wonderful Atmospheric Optics site for images of, and explanations for, phenomena like pillars, halos, etc.