Search This Blog

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

A vertical rainbow in the sky - a photo of a recent Sun Dog by Cathleen Crosby

Recently Cathleen Crosby captured a photo of a Sun Dog, which is also called a Parhelion. This Sun Dog was seen out over the Pacific Ocean. It looks like several Ravens were flying by.

A Sun Dog is a rainbow in the sky but there are no rain clouds. It is formed when light rays pass through high cirrus clouds. The ice crystals in the clouds act as prisms and, if conditions are right, you get this rare phenomenon. Thanks to Cathleen for allowing me to share it with you here!

To see another rare cloud with a rainbow phenomenon, click here to see a cloud falling out of a cloud. It's amazing!http://mendonomasightings.blogspot.com/2011/05/rare-cloud-phenomenon-cloud-falling-out.html

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

I've seen a few of these but this is bigger and better than most of those, very awesome.

Jeanne Jackson said...

We often see rainbows just south of Fish Rocks (near Anchor Bay) and I always photograph them. But the photos are never as vibrant as the look to my eyes. Cathleen really did capture a wonderful photo.

Tina Overly said...

I was lucky enough to see one of these in Melbourne, FL last week. I had no idea what it was but looked up vertical rainbow when I got home.. Amazing...

Jeanne Jackson said...

Tina, they are very rare. Glad you got to see one!

Unknown said...

My mom and I have seen a sun dog. To day driving near the 22 fwy near the city of Westminster and graden grove. On the day of 4/12 /2017 around after 6:30 pm.

Jeanne Jackson said...

Lisa, it is a treat to see one! Congrats!

Anonymous said...

I saw 3 in 2017

Jeanne Jackson said...

Three in a year is terrific!

Unknown said...

I saw one but by the time I got my phone outside you could barely see it but it looked like a smile in the sky how awesome

Jeanne Jackson said...

A smile in the sky...I love that! Thanks, Jorj.

Mark Pre said...

We put our beloved Rosie down last fall, when I came home from the vet, we were broken hearted and took a walk to the Lake, where we saw a “Rosie” rainbow, did not know they were referred to as a Sun Dog...how fitting
!

Jeanne Jackson said...

Mark, that’s very touching. Sorry for the loss of your Rosie. We just lost our dear Duffy. It’s so hard...

Unknown said...

I was sitting in a chemo suite in Ohio yesterday (1/13/21) and saw 3 of these at different times in different positions around the sun. I called a nurse over to share with her friends. As I told her, I saw 3 sun dogs (no rainbows) clustered next to the sun in a cloudless sky in Georgia around 1987. Wow. I feel lucky!

Jeanne Jackson said...

I would take that as a sign your cancer treatment will be successful. Best of luck. Jeanne