On the way to Iowa for the holidays, Andrew and I saw something called a sun dog. According to
Wikipedia, a sun dog 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
cirro-stratus clouds. Often, two sun dogs can be seen (one on each side of the sun) simultaneously." Andrew had spotted one previously, while in Minnesota, but I had not. Here are a few pictures I snapped of it while driving at 65 mph.
In this picture, you can see the sun on the left and a sun dog on the right, but this particular day there were two sun dogs (as seen in prior photo).
I took this photo through my sunglasses to see if I could soften the glare.
I don't know if Jan, Alan or Andrew remember, but in Arizona, while on the Mission Trip in Jan. '04, we saw a rainbow type thing near the sun and we were trying to take pictures of it. I specifically remember Jan holding up her sunglasses to take the picture. Well, I believe that was also a type of sun dog. All it take is some ice crystals in the air, and the sunlight. It was January after all. Anyway, I thought this was cool so I thought I would share.
3 comments:
And . . . European history may have been altered by a sun dog. After Constantine saw a shining cross in the sky, he took it as an omen that the Christian god must be the true one. He emblazoned a cross (in the form of a chi/rho)on his legion's shields and flags, battled his way to control of the Roman empire, and paved the way for Christianity to become Rome's favored religion. Was he actually "converted" by a sun dog? Some historians think so.
That's very interesting, Dad. I hadn't heard that before.
wow i just learned something new, i never heard about a sun dog
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