On Friday, January 8 people living at the south pole were given one of the most spectacular shows on earth. This is no circus rather it is atmospheric optics or sun dogs. These are the rainbow rings and flares that form around the sun and even 180 degrees from the sun.
These great brilliant gems come about when the air is cold enough to cause ice crystals to form or when the wind picks up a lot of surface snow. As these crystals pass in front of the sun they bend and focus the light creating halos, flares and other peculiar light forms.
This particular sun dog was the best yet this season. It seemed like anybody who saw it stopped what they were doing to watch and see it is would form the famous 180 degree horizontal ring in the sky. Those who waited for it were treated with a horizontal ring and two others that were at an almost 45 degree angle to each side and criss crossed each other in the back to form a light X pattern.
This phenomenon is also called perihelion.
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