Definition
parhelion
noun
- A bright spot that appears on either side of the sun, caused by the refraction of sunlight through ice crystals in the atmosphere; a sun dog.
Usage: Usually appears in plural form (parhelia); Meteorological phenomenon; Often observed in cold climates or at high altitudes
Examples
- On a cold winter morning, we observed a parhelion glowing on each side of the sun.
- The parhelion appeared as a bright halo-like spot in the icy sky.
- Pilots sometimes report seeing parhelia during high-altitude flights through cirrus clouds.
- The ancient Greeks documented parhelia as optical phenomena caused by atmospheric ice.
- A parhelion can be mistaken for a second sun by those unfamiliar with atmospheric optics.