Comments on: The Dogs of Sun http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/12/29/the-dogs-of-sun/ I am an astronomer, writer, and skeptic. I likes reality the way it is, and I aims to keep it that way. My real name is Phil Plait, and I run the Bad Astronomy blog. Sun, 08 Nov 2009 23:36:25 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: MandyDax http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/12/29/the-dogs-of-sun/comment-page-1/#comment-61665 MandyDax Tue, 01 Jan 2008 01:30:59 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/12/29/the-dogs-of-sun/#comment-61665 @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-page-1/#comment-61664 Barton Paul Levenson Mon, 31 Dec 2007 15:00:46 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/12/29/the-dogs-of-sun/#comment-61664 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-page-1/#comment-61663 Jasper Mon, 31 Dec 2007 12:38:15 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/12/29/the-dogs-of-sun/#comment-61663 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-page-1/#comment-61662 Lugosi Mon, 31 Dec 2007 00:02:15 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/12/29/the-dogs-of-sun/#comment-61662 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-page-1/#comment-61661 Edward C Sun, 30 Dec 2007 21:02:21 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/12/29/the-dogs-of-sun/#comment-61661 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-page-1/#comment-61653 r a varga Sun, 30 Dec 2007 19:33:31 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/12/29/the-dogs-of-sun/#comment-61653 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-page-1/#comment-61660 hale_bopp Sun, 30 Dec 2007 04:35:46 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/12/29/the-dogs-of-sun/#comment-61660 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!

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