Astronomy Picture of the Day -- Bird Sun Dog

NASA ^ | May 27, 2013 | (see photo credit)

[SunkenCiv]

Explanation: Have you ever seen a little rainbow off to the side of the Sun? Rare but rewarding to see, such spectacles are known as sundogs, mock suns or parhelia. Sundogs are just sunlight refracting through hexagonal falling ice crystals in the Earth's atmosphere. When thin ice crystals flitter down nearly horizontally, they best refract sunlight sideways and create sundogs. Alternatively, randomly oriented ice crystals may create a complete circular sun halo. Sundogs occur 22 degrees to each side of a setting or rising Sun, although sometimes nearby clouds can block one or both. The above image was taken through a polarizing filter during October 2012 in Mérida, Spain.

[SunkenCiv]

[Credit & Copyright: Juan Manuel Pérez Rayego]

[SunkenCiv]

Cheese, Moose, Sister, the big one.

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[OddLane]

BTTT.

[Tainan]

Thanks SC. I set these, the good ones, as screen savers on my office computers.

My Son recognized the night scene across the river one from Shanghai. He really likes that one.

[poobear]

A lot of those lately in Florida with an unusual cool spring. High altitude dry air along with cirrus clouds. Very pretty. A little dangerous to stare at while riding my bike tho :)

[Explorer89]

Launch of Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) obliterating a Sun Dog.