A “sun dog” (or “sundog”) appearing in high clouds in a sunny sky.
What Are Sundogs? And How Did They Get Their Name?
Ever seen a rainbow-colored patch of light on the side of the Sun? This is called a “sundog” (or “sun dog”). Discover this optical phenomenon, how sundogs form, and even how they predict the weather!
What Are Sundogs?
A sundog is similar to a rainbow, and more common than rainbows. Sometimes they look like bright rainbows on either side of the Sun. Other times they are brighter and actually look like two extra Suns.
Sundogs are also known as mock suns or parhelia, which means “with the Sun”. The most common name, however, for these bright lights that faithfully follow the Sun is “sundogs.”
Both rainbows and sundogs are formed by moisture filtering the sunlight. Rainbows form when drops of rain act as prisms, breaking sunlight into a multitude of colors. Sundogs appear when sunlight hits clouds of ice crystals and the ice acts as prisms.
A sundog is seen about 22° to the left or right of the Sun. Sundogs often form in pairs on either side of the Sun. Often they appear white but sometimes they are quite colorful, looking like patches of rainbow. The colors usually go from red closest to the Sun, out to blue on the outside of the sundog.
Like rainbows, sundogs are created when sunlight is filtered by moisture in the sky. Used by permission HyperPhysics, C.R. Nave Georgia State University.
What are Sun Halos?
You may have heard of a related phenomenon called a “sun halo.” In this case, it’s an entire circle of light 22° wide around the Sun. Similar to sundogs, sunlight is refracts through ice crystals; these hexagonal ice crystals are suspended in cirrostratus clouds.
Viewing a Sundog
There are some differences between rainbows and sundogs, however.
- You see rainbows when you look away from the Sun.
- You see sundogs when you look toward the Sun. If the ice crystals are falling flat, then you see a bright point of light on either side of the Sun.
Look for sundogs when the Sun is rising or setting, so near the horizon. (Sun halos can appear anywhere, even when the Sun is high in the sky.)
Sundogs and Weather Prediction
Probably the biggest difference between the two is that a rainbow usually signals an end to the rain, while a sundog often means that rain, or snow is on the way. Next time you see a sundog, look out for wet weather!
Good luck? In medieval times, the three bright lights were sometimes interpreted as the sign of the trinity, a sign of great fortune. Nowadays, they are a sign that you were lucky to be looking at the sky at just the right time. You get to see those faithful companions of our sun—sundogs.
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I live in North Carolina and have saw Sun Dogs several times over the years. You can see them any where, just depends on how high the clouds full of ice crystals are and your location relationship to the sun and clouds. I once found the end of the Rainbow...yes that's right, I was 6 feet from it, but every time i stepped closer to it, it move that distance away. I "chased" it across the field but could never get inside it. Almost like an optical illusion. So sadly I can not confirm if there is a POT OF GOLD.
Before my mother passed away we were driving down the road and there was a rainbow that looked to end on the road and as we got up to it we drove right thru it and we could see the colors pass right thru the car it was beautiful as it was inside the vehicle with us
I have seen what I've been told is a 'mock sun', very similar to the first posted photo, but they have never been close to the sun; always in a break in the clouds or someplace other than close to the sun. I always just assumed that there is water vapor or some kind of ice crystals in that portion of the atmosphere causing the small rainbow-colored 'spot' in the sky.
Another fascinating weather phenomenon to enjoy!
I was told they mean a change in the weather, such as in winter, the weather will become colder if the temperature is currently "fair" or warmer if the weather is currently cold.
A fairly high altitude sundog with a second ring was seen in St. Louis County, MN on Feb. 14th, 2021. It held in the sky for most of the morning, and the haze accompanying it stayed for most of the day. If it wasn't for the haze thickening enough to be cloud cover, we might have had one that evening also.
No snow that night, and above zero today...
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