sundogs

Sun's icy twins

Sundogs are bright spots that appear on either side of the sun, caused by sunlight refracting through ice crystals in the atmosphere.

They often form a halo effect and are most visible when the sun is low on the horizon.

Also called parhelia or mock suns.

We spotted sundogs flanking the winter sun as we drove across the frozen prairie.

optics

parhelion

Mock solar apparition

refractionWave bending between media
spectralGhostlike or wavelength-related
luminousEmitting or reflecting light

glowing · diffraction · iridescence

halo

corona

Star's outermost atmosphere

aureoleRadiant ring around head
nimbusLuminous disk or raincloud
gloryExalted honor and praise

ring · arc · circle · disk · aura · radiance · luminosity · glow · halation · circumference

winter

frost

Thin ice coating

arcticOf extreme northern cold
polarOf extreme latitudes
freezingExtremely cold

snowfall · blizzard · subzero

Categories

sunsol, solar, solar flares, solar radiation, photosphere
weather phenomenatornado, wind, hurricane, gust, blizzard
sky phenomenathunderstorm, lightning, rainbow, sunset, sunrise
sky sightsmeteor, aurora, comet, stars, moon
atmospheric opticsrainbows, halos, haloes, mirages, auroras
weather lorered sky, ring around moon, moon halos, halos, halo

Opposites

optical phenomenon type

sundogsfogbows

Colorless atmospheric arcs in mist

glories · coronas

celestial authenticity

sundogssolar disc

Sun as seen overhead

visibility conditions

sundogsfog

Low-lying cloud cover

clouds · overcast · darkness · night · solar eclipse

Family

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