Even the solar can have a pet: the sundog.
And final week, as excessive clouds streamed in overhead, a great instance of this characteristic was captured by climate videographer extraordinaire Greg Johnson of Skunk Bay Climate.
Throughout a sundog occasion, areas of sunshine are seen on each side of the solar (see instance under). These are the “canines.” Sundogs are additionally known as “mock suns”
The ancients thought that sundogs have been ominous indicators, foretelling occasions such because the loss of life of kings. Right now we all know that sundogs typically happen when the sky is stuffed with a skinny veil of ice crystal clouds, typically cirrostratus.
Now let me present you a video captured by Greg Johnson from his location in northern Kitsap County round 6:30 AM final Wednesday. From his digital camera, you solely see one of many canines.
The sky on the time of solar canines was stuffed with excessive ice crystal clouds, known as cirrostratus. You’ll be able to see the in depth veil of such clouds from the seen satellite tv for pc image taken about this time (see under):
Why solar canines?
They happen when ice crystals within the clouds–shaped in six-sided plates–are oriented roughly horizontally. With that orientation, they preferentially bend the sunshine by 22 levels, creating two areas of sunshine (22 levels on each side of solar), as illustrated by the determine under.
Ice crystals which are smaller and tumbling about create round halos.
As proven within the image above, many sundogs have rainbow colours as nicely, one thing additionally illustrated within the image under.
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These colours are produced by dispersion, the breaking apart of seen mild into its part wavelengths, because it passes via the ice crystals, not in contrast to what occurs in a prism (see under).
Cirrostratus and affiliate halos and mock suns are sometimes an indication of an method climate system, comparable to a entrance or cyclone. Thus, though it could not foretell the loss of life of kings, it might recommend the top of good climate.
After which there are the “different” sundogs…
