East Freetown Sky Lights Up With Rare Glowing Beams

On a quiet night in East Freetown, the sky decided to put on a show — and luckily, a local was ready with a camera.

Derek Newton captured a jaw-dropping image of glowing beams stretching upward into the night sky, best described as an eerie, yet once in a lifetime magical appearance.

“It was wild!"Newton said, "Apparently very rare only lasted a few minutes!”.

Curious to get an expert take, I shared Newton's photo with Channel 12 WPRI Pinpoint Meteorologist T.J. Del Santo, who immediately recognized what was happening overhead.

What Were Those Glowing Beams?

According to Del Santo, the sight was caused by a phenomenon known as light pillars.

“Light pillars. City lights are reflecting off ice crystals in the atmosphere,” Del Santo explained. “The ice crystals are shaped like plates and act like mirrors with light. Street lights can even create this.”

A Rare Sight Over the SouthCoast

While light pillars are more commonly spotted in colder, urban environments with plenty of artificial light, seeing them above the wooded landscape of East Freetown made the moment even more unusual.

READ MORE: Remembering The Time New England Saw a Strange Glowing Bowtie in the Sky

There may not have been many streetlights nearby, but under the right atmospheric conditions — cold air and ice crystals suspended just right — even distant light sources can create the stunning vertical glow Newton captured.

Rare and undeniably beautiful, it’s one of those moments where sometimes the most incredible sights happen when you least expect them. A reminder to keep and eye to the sky— you never know what you might see.