OREANDA-NEWS  In Moscow and the region on the night of Thursday, December 19, against the background of cloudy weather and 20-degree frosts, a rare atmospheric phenomenon was recorded — ice needles and snow crystals, which are also called "diamond dust" or "clear sky precipitation". Evgeny Tishkovets, a meteorologist and a leading specialist at the Phobos weather center, told about this on the Telegram channel.

We are talking about solid precipitation falling from high cirrus clouds in the form of tiny ice crystals floating in the air — they sparkle at night in the light of the moon or lanterns. Often, ice needles form beautiful glowing "pillars" running from the lanterns up into the sky.

This phenomenon is most often observed in Antarctica and the Arctic, but it can occur everywhere at air temperatures below minus 10-15 degrees. In the polar regions, diamond dust can be observed for several days without interruption.

Earlier on Thursday night, frosts of up to minus 20 degrees were recorded in the capital region, for the first time since the beginning of winter.