Althouse: The rainbow at 4:46 p.m.

March 9, 2016

The rainbow at 4:46 p.m.

Over Centennial Gardens in Madison today.

13 comments:

David Begley said...: The Donald turned Trump water into Trump wine last night.

And what an amazing wine it was!

I hear it was comparable to that fine Cana wedding red.; 3/9/16, 5:40 PM
David said...: I would call that a sun dog. It could be cross posted on Pupparazo.; 3/9/16, 5:51 PM
David said...: The Donald turned Trump water into Trump wine last night.

And what an amazing wine it was!

I hear it was comparable to that fine Cana wedding red.

Yeah. But he could have done it with Flint's water too, if he weren't a racist Nazi vampire gum chewing pompadour flashing penis measuring dictator loving pile of evil.; 3/9/16, 5:53 PM
Mark said...: I would call it a sun dog too; 3/9/16, 5:58 PM
rhhardin said...: That's a sun dog. Ice crystals. There's another one on the same distance on the other side of the sun, usually.; 3/9/16, 6:02 PM
David Begley said...: Usually needs to be very, very cold for a sun dog.; 3/9/16, 6:10 PM
Fritz said...: David Begley said...
Usually needs to be very, very cold for a sun dog.

Only up in the clouds where the ice crystals form.

A bright one at sunset on Chesapeake Bay in relatively warm weather: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-myE55w-rlj8/UmHq_QlDM-I/AAAAAAAAb3Q/_Eodk3EmyTE/s1600/MC-8.JPG

http://fritz-aviewfromthebeach.blogspot.com/2013/10/did-little-more-fishing-today.html; 3/9/16, 7:13 PM
Ann Althouse said...: Never heard that term.; 3/9/16, 9:48 PM
George Grady said...: Sun dogs are part of a halo. They're close to the sun (or moon, possibly) in the sky, whereas rainbows are always seen in the sky opposite the sun. See, for example, here or here.; 3/9/16, 10:11 PM
Curious George said...: Sun dog. I saw one Sunday when I was driving back from Indianapolis.

Ann Althouse said...
Never heard that term.

Sun dogs (or sundogs), mock suns[1] or phantom suns,[2] scientific name parhelia (singular parhelion), are an atmospheric phenomenon that consists of a pair of bright spots on either horizontal side on the Sun, often co-occurring with a luminous ring known as a 22° halo.[3]
Sun dogs are a member of a large family of halos, created by light interacting with ice crystals in the atmosphere. Sun dogs typically appear as two subtly colored patches of light to the left and right of the Sun, approximately 22° distant and at the same elevation above the horizon as the Sun. They can be seen anywhere in the world during any season, but they are not always obvious or bright. Sun dogs are best seen and are most conspicuous when the Sun is close to the horizon.; 3/9/16, 11:04 PM
Mrs Whatsit said...: As I see others have explained, that's a sun dog, not a rainbow. I'm surprised you've lived so long in as cold a place as Wisconsin without encountering one before.; 3/10/16, 3:02 AM
dandean said...: I believe that's a circumhorizontal arc:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circumhorizontal_arc; 3/10/16, 4:31 AM
MadisonMan said...: How can you not have heard of a Sun Dog! Your undergraduate education is woefully lacking -- unless you know them by their other name: Parhelia.

You can also see part of a 22-degree halo, and part of the parhelic circle.

Ice crystals do marvelous things in the atmosphere. (Link); 3/10/16, 7:40 AM