Driving home from Guntersville this afternoon, we were treated to three different sundog sightings in just over thirty minutes. My apologies for the poor photo quality. Colors are washed out because of the brightness of the sun and the camera quality. Although sometimes I get pretty good photos with the cell phone, I didn't today.
No. 1, sighted about 1:50 p.m. when we were atop the hill near River Ridge Road at Gunter's Landing. The little bright spot is the parhelion (sundog). The colors don't show up in the photo. The bright sun to the left washed everything out.
No. 2 spotted about 2:05 p.m. on the highway between Grant and New Hope is a good example of what atmospheric phenomena are not. The bright spot in the center of the pink column is the parhelion; sun to the left out of the frame.The pink column and the tiny white spot above and to the left are photographic. Reflections in window of interior of vehicle are definitely not atmospheric phenomena. This sighting was neat because the entire cloud dissipated as the sundog faded with the movement of the sun.
No. 3 made about 2: 35 p.m. driving east on Weatherly Road. Despite the bright sun, you can see a little color in this photo. The horizontal rainbow line above the sun is photographic.
A shot of the cirrus clouds that often contain the hexagonal plate-shaped ice crystals that make sundogs possible.
No. 1, sighted about 1:50 p.m. when we were atop the hill near River Ridge Road at Gunter's Landing. The little bright spot is the parhelion (sundog). The colors don't show up in the photo. The bright sun to the left washed everything out.
No. 2 spotted about 2:05 p.m. on the highway between Grant and New Hope is a good example of what atmospheric phenomena are not. The bright spot in the center of the pink column is the parhelion; sun to the left out of the frame.The pink column and the tiny white spot above and to the left are photographic. Reflections in window of interior of vehicle are definitely not atmospheric phenomena. This sighting was neat because the entire cloud dissipated as the sundog faded with the movement of the sun.
No. 3 made about 2: 35 p.m. driving east on Weatherly Road. Despite the bright sun, you can see a little color in this photo. The horizontal rainbow line above the sun is photographic.
A shot of the cirrus clouds that often contain the hexagonal plate-shaped ice crystals that make sundogs possible.
