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Did You See That 'Sun Dog' Around 3:55PM Monday?

Thanks to the alert Patch readers who let us know that the "double rainbow" was really a "sun dog."

Well, I'll be doggoned.

That "double rainbow" I saw Monday turns out to be a "sun dog," aka a parhelion, whichMerriam-Webster defines as "any of several bright spots often tinged with color that often appear on the parhelic circle."

It's also apparently called a mock sun or a phantom sun, if you cotton to Wikipedia, which further explains:

"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."

Thanks to multiple alert Patch readers who immediately recognized the colorful phenomenon and filled us in via the comments field. 

Find out what's happening in Genevawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

You can also read more about sun dogs at the hyperphysics.phy website and sciencedaily.com.



Original Post Around 4 PM Monday


I'm not sure if you can see it on this photo or not (posting on the iPhone), but I spotted this rare double rainbow and wondered if others had seen it, as well. 

By "double rainbow" I mean two short, vertical rainbows that appear miles apart. More likely, they're the "tips" of one rainbow arch.

Let us know in the comments field if you have a more-educated explanation of today's colorful weather event. :)

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