Twin Sun Dogs were prominently visible in Albion and other parts of Boone County with the rising sun on Friday, Dec. 23. It was an unusual site for this area.
According to Wikipedia, a sun dog is also called a parhelion in meteorology. It is an atmospheric optical phenomenon that consists of a bright spot to one or both sides of the sun. Two sun dogs often flank the sun within a 22° halo.
The sun dog is a member of the family of halos caused by the refraction of sunlight by ice crystals in the atmosphere. Sun dogs typically appear as a pair of subtly colored patches of light, around 22° to the left and right of the Sun, and at the same altitude above the horizon as the Sun. They can be seen anywhere in the world during any season, but are not always obvious or bright. Sun dogs are best seen and most conspicuous when the Sun is near the horizon.
Photo by Chrissy Rasmussen, Albion News-Boone Co. Tribune
