Thread: Sundogs
View Single Post

  #1 (permalink)  
Old 30-06-2005, 08:35 AM
henrya henrya is offline
Commander of the Wild Empire
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Posts: 1,389
Sundogs

Yesterday, following the heaviest downpour I've seen for some time, just after 8pm (BST) I noticed a very obvious sun-dog (or twenty-two degree parhelion, to give it its technical name). I have uploaded a picture on The Great Outdoors Gallery. They are sometimes also called 'mock suns'.

These appear on the same level as the sun, at a twenty-two degree angle from it. Often there is one either side of the sun, but yesterday this one, on the left, was the only one I could see.

They are caused by ice crystals in the upper atmosphere, or in clouds, and are created by refraction and reflection effects. Sometimes they are just white, and at other times you get a rainbow effect, as here.

henrya
Reply With Quote