Thursday, August 21, 2008

Skywatch *2


A rare phenmenon, especially in southern climes.
In 70 years of observing the sky, I have only encounterd
it twice: the sun's seldom seen off-sider, the Sun Dog or parhelion.
Mainly seen when the sun is low in the sky, there can be four of these
at the points of the compass around the sun. On very rare occasions
they can mirror the sun and form their own pups as well.
Coloured parhelia are formed by light refracted through ice crystals.
If you find it hard to spot, it's the tiny rainbow in the centre
of the picture!

The road home.
With my trusty camera of course.
Happy skywatching, click on Skywatch on the
right and browse to your heart's content.

103 comments:

  1. Thankyou for your comment about the homeopathic remedy on my blog. I was a little surprised by your comment that you wouldn't trust that remedy again. My understanding was that it is to be expected and part of the flushing out. Is that incorrect?

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  2. Hello Arija, thanks for visiting my Hermitage and sitting by the fire for a while... glad you liked what you found there :)
    Best wishes to you from Scotland
    Rima

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  3. Thanks so much for stopping by my blog. You make such a great point. I dont have too many of those doubting days, but when I do, whew.... they can surely ruin my day. I will start filling that same space with lots of gratitude. Love your blog. I love that your seasons are opposite- Spring is my favorite time of year- so your last post's photo's were great. Hope you stop by again soon. :--)

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  4. Shots like these Arija, make me want to pause and soak them into my soul...
    and Sun Dogs...beautiful...

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  5. These are magnificent shots, Arija. I can feel the misty fog in the first one. Sigh.

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  6. Lovely sky photos. I'm glad you're enjoying my close up photographs. Macro lenses are expensive but for me it was worth the investment because I love doing close ups, it's my favorite subject matter.

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  7. Hallo Arija,
    wunderbare Bilder für SWF.

    ... ja die Astern aus der Kinderzeit, es sind immer volle farbenfrohe Sträusse. Lettland, dann liegt unsere Heimat nicht weit entfernt und jetzt trennen usn tausende Kilometer.

    Deinen tollen blog mit den vielen schönen Blumenbildern nehme ich in meine Bliglsite auf.

    Liebe Grüsse
    Hartmut

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  8. You take beautiful photographs Arija. I love the misty ones and the dramatic cloudscapes. Thank you for leaving such lovely comments on my blog.

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  9. These beautiful pictures made me feel better!

    How amazing to see spring in your part of the world when here we are readying for the beauty of autumn.

    Thank you :)

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  10. Hi Arija, beautiful shots also thanks foe your kind comments on my blog.

    Go to
    http://skyley.blogspot.com/
    enter your name then enter your blog name and click, you will then be on skywatch list.

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  11. Gorgeous clouds in the road home. I love the clouds, they are so dramatic and change in a blink.

    I'm sorry but I don't really understand the top photo. Is the phenomena you describe the layer of mist on the ground or something in the sky? Sorry for being a bit thick here, when everyone else seems to understand it.
    Gina

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  12. If you look closely, there is a tiny rainbow effect in the sky, that is the Sun Dog,in this case on the left of the rising sun.

    You are not the only one who did not spot that Gina.

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  13. Thankyou for your concern. It actually passed in a few days.
    Your photos are glorious.

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  14. Arija: You have posted wonderful Sky photos today and they are really interesting with your description.

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  15. These are gorgeous! The last could be one of my Country Roads here in West Virginia.
    Wonderful images.

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  16. A truly special moment caught on camera!

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  17. Beautiful photos and a very interesting piece about the Parhelion.

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  18. Really nice, gentle pictures.
    Thanks for visiting.

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  19. Amazing photos! Plus I am still exploring the rest of your site. It's all fascinating.

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  20. Arija you have got a nice road to go home.
    The parhelia you show are so interesting. Now we know what is causing it. Through early history all sorts of believes were attached to it; it looks odd; but also beautiful.

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  21. Thank you for your kind comments on my post earlier.

    You must live in a beautiful part of the country as all of your photos are are amazing. Thank you for sharing all your lovely scenes.

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  22. Bonjour !

    Très très jolies photos !

    La route, est-elle longue pour rentrer à la maison ?

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  23. Love both pictures!

    The top with the sundog AND mist is wonderful. (We see sundogs a few times a year here. I LOVE them, but have never seen the 4 compass points--two at most at once.)

    The road home is always nice.

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  24. Dynamite capture, that first shot. Lucky for us you caught it...

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  25. Those are both great shots and a very interesting post. I love the road home. That almost beckons.

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  26. Nice sun dog and I like the road home also.

    Nice skywatch.

    Thanks for the visit,
    Troy and Martha

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  27. I learn a lot when I go traveling on SWF, now I know something about parhelions. Tahnk you for your beauteous photographs. You're an amazing photographer.

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  28. Arija (such a beautiful name)... This is a beautiful capture of a storm on the horizon. Beautiful contrast in the colors. Nice shot.

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  29. Fantastic Sun Dog photo! - so glad you saw it and took the photo to share. Also enjoyed the photo of 'the road home' - I love those bunched up clouds. Wonderful post for SWF!

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  30. Arija, two particularly beautiful shots. And that particular phenomenon is a stranger to me. Happy SWF!

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  31. Great photos. Thank you for visiting my blog.

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  32. A mysterious, beautifully hazy and romantic view! The first one, especially. I have never heard of the phenomenon: 'parhelion'. Amazing. Thank you for this 'experience.'

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  33. I am enjoying the fact that spring is approaching where you live. These are very lovely sky watch photos.

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  34. Your road home is so similar to ours, yet ours leads off the moors here in North Yorkshire to our village. I must say the picture below of hte blossom reminded me the year has seasons and we ARE in summer.......but you'd never guess, looking at the rain and grey sky!

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  35. You have beautiful shots to day!

    Thank you for the nice comment:)

    Have a nice weekend:)

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  36. Amazing shot!
    Have a nice weekend.

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  37. I'm glad you were there to capture this wonder!

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  38. Fascinating. You may think I was raised under a rock, but this is the first time I even heard of a sun dog.

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  39. very special skywatch shots. i have seen a sundog before but it is indeed a rare occasion... thank you for sharing.

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  40. What a wonderful sky there (2nd)! And I cant help but appreciate your photo below too (spring flowers) its gonna be autumn here soon!

    I enjoy skywatch a lot and so I thank you for sharing this...

    Visiting from DriveBy photos. happy skywatching!

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  41. Very nice pictures indeed, but the first one really made me WOW. It is so gorgeous it almost took my breath away. Really nice catch.

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  42. You've got to be pretty attentive to catch a sundog. Nice work!

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  43. what a lovely skies you have, great shot...so beautiful...

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  44. Just fabulous! Thank you for sharing. I loved seeing your other terrific photos as well.

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  45. Great fluffy clouds. I love how they are down an old dirt road. It reminds me of home too.

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  46. Both shots are both beautiful and fascinating! Enjoyed your accompanying comments too!

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  47. Thanks for leaving a message. It's welcome. Good photos, worthy of SWF.

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  48. Oh thanks Arija, I see now. How very curious. I've never seen such a thing. I wonder whether we have them in Ireland? Mind you, I'm rarely up at dawn!!

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  49. Those are stunning shots. Excellent sky watch post.

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  50. Very cool. We get cloud rainbows here, which look similar but are slighty different.

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  51. Loved your photos, perfect for SkyWatch. Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving the nice comment.

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  52. Wow..that is so unusually beautiful and thank you for the explanation. Happy weekend... Michelle

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  53. I love your photos. As a country girl at heart now living in a city, I was so excited to see the dirt road. Your knowledge of the clouds and sky is so helpful. Thank you. I love your blog and have been looking around and love seeing your dog and cats. Are they yours.
    Have a good weekend.

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  54. That's beautiful! Never seen one of those in my life!

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  55. Beautiful pictures. I was blessed to encounter this phenomenon once on a drive home from Boston MA. It was the most remarkable sight and unfortunately my camera could not capture it's true beauty. Thank you for sharing yours and coming by to visit my site.

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  56. Thank you for your nice visiting on my blog! You are welcome!

    Love your photos too! Great participation on SWF.

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  57. Thank you so much for your kind comment on my blog. I love both your skywatch photos -- they are absolutely beautiful! Happy skywatching! :)

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  58. That is so cool! I've never seen a sky like that before!

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  59. I love the fluffy clouds in the second picture !

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  60. Thank you for stopping by and leaving that sweet comment. I came here to check your SWF and when I saw the second photograph it convinced me to read your profile. Oh my goodness! I could have written that profile. I love love your style and taste. You have such an eye. Many people take photographs of clouds. It's the type of clouds that people photograph that tell me they are special. I have to bookmark you.

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  61. the other side of the world - beautiful!

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  62. Thanks for the visit and comment. Wow! These pics are awesome, especially the first one! I've always liked the the early morning mist covers the ground like that and I've never seen a rainbow captured like that.

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  63. "Louis" thanks you for your visit to San Francisco Bay Daily Photo. In answer to your question - it was nothing more serious than fog moving in. No danger of getting wet this time! (Sometimes "Louis" et Mme. la Vache have to close the balcony door because the fog rolls right into the living room!

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  64. Good morning, Arija! Come on over to the Manor...there is a little award waiting for you! :D

    Willow x o

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  65. beautiful images, and thanks for explaining the first one! have a great weekend!

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  66. Beautiful sky watch!
    It's strange for me to think about that you have spring, here it's almost autumn...

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  67. Hello, both of your photographs are amazing and inspiring. I like them both, but the first one grabs me - I´ve learned something new to me, never heard about Sun Dog before:-) And I love the mist there. It is just so magical. Thank you for sharing, and thank you for dropping by my blog and nice comment. Have a great weekend and happy skywatching:-)

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  68. Hi Arija!
    Come over to my place and right click on the award photo and save it in your picture file. Then, if you like, you can display it on your blog's sidebar. And then, you can pass the award onto as many bloggers as you like!

    Hope this explains it! :)

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  69. These are amazing skies--especially the first, but as a photographic composition, I like the second better.

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  70. Thanks for visiting my blog. Your comment about the sun dogs is very informative. Thanks.

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  71. Love the cloud formations in the road home and very interesting info
    on the parhelia. BTW, the pot of tea is waiting for when you decide to jump the ditch :)

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  72. Beautiful shots for SWF and also all your garden delights, all flowers are awesome!

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  73. Two beautiful photos, you have a great eye. Thanks for sharing.

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  74. Hi Arija, I had never heard of parhelion before. And until you told us, I would not have known it is a rare sight.
    Both your pictures are pretty, the bottom one makes me think, mainly about you getting home before those clouds act up and secondly if things are OK when you get home. :-)
    Thank you for visiting my Guatemala clouds and for your nice comment.
    ..

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  75. Love you photos...all of them...not just the Skywatch ones. Thanks for sharing.

    I've never heard of the phenomenom that you so luckily captured here...but I'll be on the lookout from now on.

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  76. Beautiful photo for SWF. Love the scenery on the photo. It looked like a painting on the wall.

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  77. Lovely pictures. I love the colors of the sundog. I posted one I took in June.. June 28th I think. I also have used the photo I took as a header for my holy houses blog. Enjoy. MB

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  78. lovely awesome sky photos! thanks for visiting my blog! cheers!

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  79. lovely pictures of the sky as well as the plants and flowers :)

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  80. Very fine Sun dog !
    Thanks for your visit !

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  81. I don't think my comment did justice to your first picture. It special, isn't it.
    We are both Rats, I see. Supposed to have a tranquil old age... still waiting.

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  82. Lovely! I've always loved sun-dogs and the related phenomena.

    I'm glad you visited me. I've been looking back through your posts. You have a most beautiful blog. I like the way you call your camera your "hand extension"! Mine goes everywhere with me except the bathroom.

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  83. Hi Arija, thanks for the visit and the comments. I really like your photos - the sundog is amazing and it looks like a lonely road road.
    I will be stopping inagain to browse your older posts

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  84. Nice shots!

    and thank you for all of the comments on my blogs. I appreciate it!

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  85. I am overawed with this response! Thank you all so much. If you are nature minded, artistically inclied
    or just plain curious or in need of a shoulder, my door is always open and you can be assured of a very warm welcome.

    Willow dear Willow your award still leaves me speechless. Thank you.

    WEBRADIO
    la route a notre ferme est une cul-
    de-sac de un kilometre.
    Merci pour votre question.

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  86. Good Morning
    Thanks for stopping by my blog.
    Your pictures are just fabulous!I love the cloud ones, and how fortunate you are just coming into spring. All the early flowers and plants. It's my favorite time of the year. We're just heading into Fall, and the days are already getting shorter.
    We do have different birds up here from yours.
    Do come back again.

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  87. Beautiful phenomenon! In fact, I did not find it hard to find! :) What surprised moi is that in AUSTRALIA, you can have ice crystals in the air! :) In Winter, here, we can see that phenomenon from time to time... It's beautiful and happens mostly when the sky is misty... :)

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  88. Great pictures I especially love the second one the clouds look so soft and puffy.

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  89. great pics!!
    thanks for stopping by my blog.

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  90. That second shot is really dramatic!

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  91. Your comment on my SW made me laugh - I actually was brave enough to walk done and stand under the pier. Thanks for visiting.
    Your pictures are beautiful.

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  92. Great photos. I never knew about the Sun dog. That's cool.

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  93. I never knew that was called a sun dog before. I have seen them and I have heard the term but never made the connection before. Thanks for your visit and lovely comments on my photos! Sorry to be so late making my visits ~ it was a hectic weekend here!

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  94. Thanks for visiting me! else I wouldn't have found your wonderful blog.
    I saw my first sundog last year since moving to Minnesota and I can say I'll never forget it.
    The clouds in your second photo were stunning.
    have a great week. . .
    p.s. yes, that was a white egret in my photo -- good eye!

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  95. I love sun-dogs! Thanks for stopping by my blog... :)

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  96. Capturing a Sun Dog in such a splendid landscape makes it a truly special image, congratulations!

    I had to go to Wikipedia, to educate myself a little more about this phenomenon. Among other things, this passage from Cicero's "On the Republic caught my attention: Be it so, said Tubero; and since you invite me to discussion, and present the opportunity, let us first examine, before any one else arrives, what can be the nature of the parhelion, or double sun, which was mentioned in the senate. Those that affirm they witnessed this prodigy are neither few nor unworthy of credit, so that there is more reason for investigation than incredulity.
    Imagine, a modern day senate, putting a subject like the parhelion on their agenda! ;-)

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  97. We get sky dogs occasionally here in British Columbia. Thanks for sharing your shot. I love to see them when I can. Thanks for visiting my airshow post and your comments. Have a great week. -- Margy

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