Penitentes, or nieves penitentes (Spanish for “penitent-shaped snows”), are a snow formation found at high altitudes. They take the form of tall thin blades of hardened snow or ice, closely spaced with the blades oriented towards the general direction of the sun.

A white tiger cools off inside its enclosure on a hot summer day at a zoo in Lahore on May 9, 2022. (Photo by Arif Ali/AFP Photo)

Children play with the waves at the Malecon in Havana, on September 29, 2022, in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian. Authorities were slowly restoring electricity in Cuba following a power outage in the country caused by Hurricane Ian, which killed two people and left widespread damage. (Photo by Yamil Lage/AFP Photo)

A worker pushes a wheelbarrow past a mural in Doha on November 8, 2022, ahead of the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup football tournament. (Photo by Gabriel Bouys/AFP Photo)

Two young girls play near a makeshift tent where their family stay after the earthquake in Samandag, southern Turkey, Thursday, February 16, 2023. Ever since the Feb. 6 earthquake decimated swaths of Turkey and Syria, survivors have gathered outside destroyed houses and apartments, refusing to leave. (Photo by Francisco Seco/AP Photo)

Karen Chen, of the United States, competes in the women's team free skate program during the figure skating competition at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Monday, February 7, 2022, in Beijing. (Photo by Jeff Roberson/AP Photo)

A worker paints the face of a realistic pet plushie, at the Pampanga Teddy Bear Factory, in Angeles City, Pampanga province, Philippines on March 10, 2023. (Photo by Lisa Marie David/Reuters)

Cosplayer Johnny McPhung as Robin poses at Day 2 of WonderCon 2023 at Anaheim Convention Center on March 25, 2023 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Daniel Knighton/FilmMagic)