sundog
Noun: A bright, often colorful, spot of light appearing in the sky at the same altitude as the sun, typically 22 degrees to the left, right, or both sides of the sun. It is an atmospheric optical phenomenon caused by the refraction of sunlight through hexagonal plate-shaped ice crystals suspended in cirrus or cirrostratus clouds.
A "sundog" is a specific type of halo. It is used to describe the visual phenomenon itself. * We saw a brilliant sundog to the right of the setting sun. * The appearance of a sundog often indicates that high, icy clouds are present.
- Scientific Observation: In meteorology, observing sundogs can provide information about the type and orientation of ice crystals in the upper atmosphere.
- Plural Form: The phenomenon often appears in pairs. The term "sundogs" is commonly used.
- The sky displayed a pair of vivid sundogs this morning.
- Parhelion (plural: parhelia): This is the formal, scientific term for a sundog. The two words are synonyms.
- Mock sun: A less technical synonym for sundog.
- 22° halo: A related but distinct circular halo that can appear around the sun, sometimes accompanied by sundogs at its left and right intersections.
Parhelion, mock sun.
The term "sundog" refers exclusively to the atmospheric phenomenon described. It does not have other common meanings in standard English. It should not be confused with the compound word "sun dog," which can informally refer to a dog that enjoys basking in the sun, but this is not a standard lexical entry.
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a bright spot on the parhelic circle; caused by diffraction by ice crystals
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two or more parhelia are usually seen at once
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