Comments on: The Dogs of Sun http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/12/29/the-dogs-of-sun/ Wed, 21 Nov 2012 15:12:45 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 By: MandyDax http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/12/29/the-dogs-of-sun/#comment-58965 MandyDax Tue, 01 Jan 2008 01:30:59 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/12/29/the-dogs-of-sun/#comment-58965 @Lugosi: The phenomenon is caused by refraction through or reflection off of ice crystals in the atmosphere and doesn't have anything to do with the tilt of the earth's axis. The sun dogs usually form at the horizontal intersection with a 22° circle centered on the sun. Depending on if it is refraction or reflection, it might appear as a bright spot, like the one BA shows here (reflection), or it might look more like a section of a rainbow (refraction). I saw moon dogs this summer. Some friends and I were sitting on our dock watching the full moon rise over the lake, and there were thin ice-laden clouds above the horizon. As the moon rose and the clouds moved, the moon dogs (which were the refractive kind) gave us some brilliant rainbow segments on either side of the moon. @Lugosi: The phenomenon is caused by refraction through or reflection off of ice crystals in the atmosphere and doesn’t have anything to do with the tilt of the earth’s axis. The sun dogs usually form at the horizontal intersection with a 22° circle centered on the sun. Depending on if it is refraction or reflection, it might appear as a bright spot, like the one BA shows here (reflection), or it might look more like a section of a rainbow (refraction).

I saw moon dogs this summer. Some friends and I were sitting on our dock watching the full moon rise over the lake, and there were thin ice-laden clouds above the horizon. As the moon rose and the clouds moved, the moon dogs (which were the refractive kind) gave us some brilliant rainbow segments on either side of the moon.

]]> By: Barton Paul Levenson http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/12/29/the-dogs-of-sun/#comment-58964 Barton Paul Levenson Mon, 31 Dec 2007 15:00:46 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/12/29/the-dogs-of-sun/#comment-58964 I understand that reflections and images of the sun in clouds have likely generated a lot of UFO reports, to the point where I used "sundogs" as a shorthand for the "UFOs-are-natural-phenomena-misunderstood" group of reports. Seeing shouldn't always be believing; make an effort to check out what you actually saw first. I understand that reflections and images of the sun in clouds have likely generated a lot of UFO reports, to the point where I used “sundogs” as a shorthand for the “UFOs-are-natural-phenomena-misunderstood” group of reports. Seeing shouldn’t always be believing; make an effort to check out what you actually saw first.

]]> By: Jasper http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/12/29/the-dogs-of-sun/#comment-58963 Jasper Mon, 31 Dec 2007 12:38:15 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/12/29/the-dogs-of-sun/#comment-58963 I just saw on EPOD a picture of a sundog: http://epod.usra.edu/archive/epodviewer.php3?oid=397632 I just saw on EPOD a picture of a sundog:
http://epod.usra.edu/archive/epodviewer.php3?oid=397632

]]> By: Lugosi http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/12/29/the-dogs-of-sun/#comment-58962 Lugosi Mon, 31 Dec 2007 00:02:15 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/12/29/the-dogs-of-sun/#comment-58962 Perhaps you've addressed this before, but I'm too lazy to do a search. Are sun dogs always 23.5 degrees (the Earth's tilt) from the sun? Perhaps you’ve addressed this before, but I’m too lazy to do a search. Are sun dogs always 23.5 degrees (the Earth’s tilt) from the sun?

]]> By: Edward C http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/12/29/the-dogs-of-sun/#comment-58961 Edward C Sun, 30 Dec 2007 21:02:21 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/12/29/the-dogs-of-sun/#comment-58961 Happy New Year, Phil. Happy New Year, Phil.

]]> By: r a varga http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/12/29/the-dogs-of-sun/#comment-58953 r a varga Sun, 30 Dec 2007 19:33:31 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/12/29/the-dogs-of-sun/#comment-58953 Happy New Year! Sun dogs are fairly common in these parts, I don't know anyone who has bothered to photograph them with the possible exception of a few news/weather photogs & the usual dedicated local astronomers. The best I've ever seen was at noon, mid-Dec/January many years ago, with a sun dog to each side of the sun (East & West) and a halo connecting the dogs, possibly another 2 smaller dogs North & South of the sun, just pups. Spectacular, but I've been told, not possible, any comments?. Happy New Year! Sun dogs are fairly common in these parts, I don’t know anyone who has bothered to photograph them with the possible exception of a few news/weather photogs & the usual dedicated local astronomers. The best I’ve ever seen was at noon, mid-Dec/January many years ago, with a sun dog to each side of the sun (East & West) and a halo connecting the dogs, possibly another 2 smaller dogs North & South of the sun, just pups. Spectacular, but I’ve been told, not possible, any comments?.

]]> By: hale_bopp http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/12/29/the-dogs-of-sun/#comment-58960 hale_bopp Sun, 30 Dec 2007 04:35:46 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/12/29/the-dogs-of-sun/#comment-58960 One day driving across the cornfields of Illinois on an amazingly cold, clear morning (the high for the day was about -20F!) I was treated to a spectacular sunrise with a wonderful sundog on each side, both looking amazingly like the Sun. It was a freakin' triple sunrise! It really felt like another planet for a while! One day driving across the cornfields of Illinois on an amazingly cold, clear morning (the high for the day was about -20F!) I was treated to a spectacular sunrise with a wonderful sundog on each side, both looking amazingly like the Sun. It was a freakin’ triple sunrise! It really felt like another planet for a while!

]]> By: Michael Amato http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/12/29/the-dogs-of-sun/#comment-58959 Michael Amato Sun, 30 Dec 2007 03:17:53 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/12/29/the-dogs-of-sun/#comment-58959 Two years ago I also saw a very bright and colorful sun dog as my friends and I were leaving a Yale football game. It was the most glorious sundog I've ever seen and I have seen many. Of course no of us had a camera. Two years ago I also saw a very bright and colorful sun dog as my friends and I were leaving a Yale football game. It was the most glorious sundog I’ve ever seen and I have seen many. Of course no of us had a camera.

]]> By: Michael Lonergan http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/12/29/the-dogs-of-sun/#comment-58958 Michael Lonergan Sun, 30 Dec 2007 03:00:38 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/12/29/the-dogs-of-sun/#comment-58958 I used to see these every winter in Edmonton when I lived up there. They always appeared in pairs, one to the left and one to the right, with the sun in the middle. Usually there was a bright halo accompanying it. They were especially bright when ice fog hung heavy in the air. I used to see these every winter in Edmonton when I lived up there. They always appeared in pairs, one to the left and one to the right, with the sun in the middle. Usually there was a bright halo accompanying it. They were especially bright when ice fog hung heavy in the air.

]]> By: Scott G. http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/12/29/the-dogs-of-sun/#comment-58957 Scott G. Sun, 30 Dec 2007 02:20:36 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/12/29/the-dogs-of-sun/#comment-58957 This is such a coincidence. While driving from PA to VA today, my family and I saw the most brilliant sun dog ever - the same effect you describe above, Phil - so bright we thought it was the sun behind the clouds until we noticed the somewhat (but not too much) brighter real sun to the left. A huge rainbow effect as well - much more vertical than I have ever noticed before (with better color visibility even without sunglasses). This was about 4 PM Eastern from the lovely southbound lane of Maryland's I95. This is such a coincidence. While driving from PA to VA today, my family and I saw the most brilliant sun dog ever – the same effect you describe above, Phil – so bright we thought it was the sun behind the clouds until we noticed the somewhat (but not too much) brighter real sun to the left. A huge rainbow effect as well – much more vertical than I have ever noticed before (with better color visibility even without sunglasses). This was about 4 PM Eastern from the lovely southbound lane of Maryland’s I95.

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