Okay..this is the scoop on the Sun Dogs. Sun Dogs usually show up in cold weather and when the sun is low on the horizon.
You can have sun dogs with halos or without.
This is without.
A sundog is a bright area on either side of the sun. They can look like mock suns, bright spots or little rainbows. They are caused by hexagonal shaped ice crystals high in the frigid air catching the light. When all the ice crystals are organized vertically and marching like soldiers through the air they make sundogs.
Can you see the halo now? Halos often called Ice Halos are caused by refraction of light off of ice crystals that are willy nilly and unorganized marchers..so the light is refracted in all directions from the sun. 
These photos were taken out the car window yesterday January 25. Far Guy had an appointment and Chance and I rode shotgun.
Have you seen sun dogs before?
These dogs were the highlight of our day..other than the one next to us at the gas station where Chance rolled down his window and barked his head off at some fluffy little man eating dog:)
We saw our very first sun dog recently on the way home from the dr. There was no place to pull over to get a pic but I was thoroughly amazed - I had only read about them through blogs!
ReplyDeleteTom and I have seen Sun Dogs once in Dayton. It was as I was driving him to work on a dark morning. We didn't know what we were looking at until Tom talked to one of the men at work who had been stationed at an air foce base in the Dakotas. One of the most impressive sights I have ever seen. One of your rewards for living through those long cold winters.
ReplyDeleteI've seen sun dogs before, but they are rare in my part of the woods! Great captures! :-)
ReplyDeleteAwesome post and photos ! We occasionally see sun dogs here not many though ! Have a good day !
ReplyDeleteWow, doulbe wow!!!!! Great pictures of the Sun Dogs and Halos....I have seen Sun Dogs before, but not many.....Wonderful post, Francine.
ReplyDeleteWe have seen a couple this year. Your photos are wonderful!
ReplyDeleteThat photo of the blowing snow froze me to my chair! BRRRR. Good explanation of the sun dogs though. Happy to hear Chance is still defending his place on the planet. Give him a hug for me.
ReplyDeleteGreat photos. Something I look forward to seeing since there are so few I see.
ReplyDeleteMust be a Minnesota thing!! Never heard of them before. Interesting. Chance, good dog!! Keeping those ankle biters at bay!!!
ReplyDeleteYou captured them perfectly. Even the moon can have a halo on a cold, cold night.
ReplyDeleteGreat shot!! I have seen sun dogs before. Spectacular!
ReplyDeleteGreat pictures!!!!!
ReplyDeleteSo, does that mean you can have moon dogs, too? I've seen those halos around the moon from time to time. Never read that explanation before. Interesting!
ReplyDeleteYes, we used to have them in Iowa in the Winter and I loved looking at them as I stood there shivering in the cold! LOL! It seemed they only showed up when it was VERY cold.
ReplyDeleteGreat pictures you got!
WOW! STUNNING!!! Although I know it means very, very, very cold!
ReplyDeleteLinda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
http://deltacountyhistoricalsociety.wordpress.com
From your description, I thought it might be like frozen fog? But researching shows that it is what you said - - ice crystals drifting in the air. That is COLD weather!
ReplyDeleteWe get them here too and funny thing is I saw one as well just this past week. Weather must be just right....
ReplyDeleteI've never seen them before, it's a good thing you posted photos.
ReplyDeleteIf I saw something like that, I would be clicking away, and blogging that I saw aliens...lol.
Jen
I've not noticed them…until now! Now, I'll be looking for them.
ReplyDeleteGo get 'em, Chance!
Wonderful shots!
ReplyDelete