looked into the western sky on my way home from Cup of Joe in cedar falls and i was greeted by the most beautiful sun dogs! i can't say precisely what it is about abnormal skies that makes my blood run faster, but i've always loved being surprised by something so simple. it's absolutely incredible what light can do with a bit of water.
A sun dog or sundog (scientific name parhelion, plural parhelia, for "beside the sun") is a common bright circular spot on a solar halo. It is an atmospheric optical phenomenon primarily associated with the reflection or refraction of sunlight by small ice crystals making up cirrus or cirrostratus clouds.
[thus sayeth wikipedia]
2 comments:
Wow. This is so cool. I have seen one sundog before, but never two and so nicely so balanced...
they're apparently actually a full halo - a perfect circle around the sun. it's just that there's not always enough ice/water in the sky to make the entire thing visible.
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