Seeing Tiny Rainbows Near the Sun Makes You a Sundog Millionaire

Single frame, increased saturation, ISO 100, 1/2500 sec, f/5.6, 18mm

 

Single frame, increased saturation, ISO 100, 1/2500 sec, f/5.6, 44mm

What is that small rainbow near the sun? And that faint rainbow above it in the clouds?

A sun dog, phantom sun, mock sun, or parhelion, is a light appearing in the sky at the same elevation as the sun and 22° away from the sun. The distance from the sun is always the same because hexagonal ice crystals in the atmosphere refract the light at a consistent angle.

Sundogs are members of a larger family of halos created in this way, and can appear as pillars, small rainbows, or arcs that form a halo around the sun.

This was just a little guy - check out my parhelia pillars and lunar halo photos!

Parhelia: Rainbow Columns or Lights on Both Sides of the Sun

Having a camera in your pocket at all times (iPhone) is a huge benefit for rare atmospheric events like this! I was getting into my car in the morning to go to work and I saw this vertical column of orange-raindbow light to the right of the sun. I noticed a second one on the left at the same distance and knew it must be a sun dog (parhelion, or plural parhelia).

Parhelia on either side of the sun, taken with iPhone

As I was pulling out of the apartment complex, I tried to get a photo from my car. After driving down the road a bit, I found a good flat place with a view of the horizon and I actually pulled over on a state route, stepped out of my car, and snapped these photos. It was freezing cold but so worth it!

Panoramic photo stitched together on iPhone

The sun dogs or parhelia look like lens flares, but the crazy thing is this is actually what they look like to the naked eye! Two huge columns of orangeish rainbow light at the same height as the sun, with the hint of a circular halo. It's my understanding that these form in the same way as a 22° halo around the moon - with hexagonal ice crystals in the atmosphere.

Example of a 22° lunar halo, I took this photo back in November