Friday, May 07, 2010

Unlikely Sun

Here I thought it was going to be another ordinary hot sunny day. I was at my room checking some things online then I get a phone call from my girlfriend. She said go outside; take a look at the sun. It’s scary. So I did. To my surprise, I was astonished at the sight of the sun. So I rushed inside the house, grab my camera, and took a snap shoot of the sun. Taking a picture of the sun was a bit challenging. The heat alone is too much. Plus, I didn’t want to fry up my cameras sensor just to get a good shot of the sun. I had to do it quickly. And here it is.

And for those wanting a scientific explanation, here it is as well.



A sun dog or sundog (scientific name parhelion, plural parhelia, from Greek parēlion, (παρήλιον), παρά(beside) + ήλιος(sun), "beside the sun"; also called a mock sun) is an atmospheric phenomenon that creates bright spots of light in the sky, often on a luminous ring or halo on either side of the sun.[1] (formed by ice crystals)
Sundogs may appear as a colored patch of light to the left or right of the sun, 22° distant and at the same distance above the horizon as the sun, and in ice halos. They can be seen anywhere in the world during any season, but they are not always obvious or bright. Sundogs are best seen and are most conspicuous when the sun is low.