Atmospheric Optics

Various Locations Worldwide

A complex multi-halo display over Chobe National Park, Botswana.	Solar halo at Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.	Solar halo at Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.

A closer look at the solar halo at Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.	A Fog Bow at high altitude on the flanks of Mauna Kea Volcano, Hawaii.	Twin sundogs in freezing temperatures - Iqaluit, Nunavut.

An early morning Sundog appears to the right of the sun.	Parhelia, sometimes known as Sundogs or Mock Suns are caused by sunlight passing through horizontal plate ice crystals in the atmosphere.	A 22 degree halo surrounds the sun. The lamp post is used to block out light from the center of the sun.

Looking East just after sunset on a clear day, you can sometimes see the shadow of the Earth as the sun passes below the horizon. It's light casts a shadow up into the atmosphere. The subtle pink hues are sometimes called the Belt Of Venus.	A 22 Degree halo around the sun showing a weak parhelia (Sundog) on the left side of the halo and a faint portion of an upper tangent arc at the top of the halo.	Coronas can be formed around the sun or as in this case, the Moon.

A 22 Degree halo around the sun intersected by an airplane contrail.	A 22 Degree halo around the sun. Never look directly at the sun, serious eye damage may occur.	A corona around the sun, caused by the diffraction of light by cloud droplets.

A perfect 22 Degree halo around the sun. The halo is caused by sunlight passing through ice crystals in the upper atmosphere.	A seagull flies by as a 22 degree halo appears in cirostratus clouds.	A rare optical display in the atmosphere. The sun flanked by 2 sundogs, there is also a 22 degree halo surrounding the sun AND the upside-down rainbow in the sky high above the sun is a Circumzenithal Arc.

Moonlight passing through ice crystals in the upper atmosphere create a halo around the moon.	A very bright winter morning sundog or Parhelia in Toronto.	Solar halo in Nebraska.

A dazzling display of anti-crepuscular rays in Dodge City, Kansas after a tornado outbreak.	A perfect Circumzenithal Arc (CZA) on the way from Ottawa to Toronto Nov 16th 2023.	Circumzenithal Arc (CZA) Nov 16th 2023

A particularly bright and well-defined 22 degree halo. Toronto, March 11th 2024	Circumzenithal Arc over Toronto. March 11th 2024	A “cloud bow” seen on a flight from Amsterdam to Bristol. The sun above and behind us and the water droplets in the clouds below refracted the light and produced a bow that is very similar to the kind you might see on a foggy day (a fogbow). It’s also similar to a rainbow but doesn’t have as vibrant colours. If you are able to actually see the plane’s shadow in the clouds, you might spot a small colourful ring around it. This is called a “Glory”. I couldn’t see if there was one of these as well from my angle. March 16th 2024

A bright sundog to the right of the sun a few hours after the total solar eclipse in Quebec on April 8th 2024.	Sunrise sundog - Qeqertarsuaq, Greenland	Solar Halo - Qeqertarsuaq, Greenland

Tasman Sea	Tasman Sea	Northwest Passage

Sun Pillar - Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories	Sun dogs, Inuvik, Canada	Sun dog, Inuvik, Canada

Circumhorizonal arc - Tasman Sea

 

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