On those special nights, when ice crystals align correctly in the atmosphere, atmospheric optics get a bit crazy and a sun pillar like the one here appears.
Though, to be honest, even the Rayleigh scattering that makes the sky blue is crazy to begin with. The strange behavior of light and matter (thanks, Richard Feynman!) never ceases to amaze me.
Decaseconds 
WOW! I am the Town & Village Historian for Canton and was sent your website with the sunset on the Grasse River coming into the Village. The non-descript building on the right, used to be the Historic Harrington Hotel, where Frederic Remington, J. Henry Rushton and even Madame Currie dined there. The hotel was razed in the late 1950’s, so that photo brought back memories of what once used to be. Thank You!