Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Around the Campfire => Topic started by: BowEd on January 15, 2018, 09:06:09 am

Title: First sun dogs of the winter
Post by: BowEd on January 15, 2018, 09:06:09 am
(https://i.imgur.com/K1nqQRW.jpg)
Title: Re: First sun dogs of the winter
Post by: BrianS on January 15, 2018, 11:29:14 am
Cool picture
Title: Re: First sun dogs of the winter
Post by: JW_Halverson on January 15, 2018, 11:59:10 am
Cool picture

Cool picture, COLD weather!

These are best viewed from indoors with a warm mug of something in your hand!
Title: Re: First sun dogs of the winter
Post by: BowEd on January 15, 2018, 12:04:23 pm
I always think so too Brian.
Some of these can be more spectacular than others.This one is good to fair.Sometimes the rainbowish color can completely surround the sun more pronounced.Caused by atmospheric abnormalities which is just a fancy way of saying it's cold and dry,but if one pays attention it usually happens during the coldest part of a winter with the humidity in the air being very dry outside.A high pressure system is always associated with these too.
We actually are'nt as cold as when I usually see them but it was still cold enough.It was 0 F. this morning.
Title: Re: First sun dogs of the winter
Post by: Zuma on January 15, 2018, 10:16:27 pm
Great shot.  That's cool that you know when to expect them doggies.
I have seen a huge amount rainbows at my home and can actually predict
when they will appear. They mostly appear after late day thunderstorms in
the east but i have been very lucky to film two in the west early morning.
Zuma
Here'a doggie from 30k feet.
Title: Re: First sun dogs of the winter
Post by: Pappy on January 16, 2018, 07:20:04 am
Beautiful pictures. :)
 Pappy
Title: Re: First sun dogs of the winter
Post by: BowEd on January 16, 2018, 07:23:54 am
Thanks Zuma.Unique picture of yours also.Taking note of these things is always memorable.Personally I've never been that high above the earth and really don't plan to......lol..I imagine many other views from that altitude are memorable also.I think yours is a rainbow though.Usually occuring right after the rain shower is over like you said.In general I think the colors of a rainbow from a rain shower and sun dogs in the winter are the same because components of air are the same but from completely different conditions.Unique to colder climates in general.We get the rainbows here too in the spring and summer conditions.Something about the way the light refracts through the air at certain levels of the atmosphere I imagine.I'm no expert though.I just observe.
I wish now I would of had a camera with me while coon hunting in the winter months.Many times I watched the northern lights while treeing coon.Those colors are from completely different reasons though and are completely different shapes and colors also.Unique to the northern climates also.
Seems there's always something unique to document in the area a person lives.The windows of opportunity to see these abnormalities is shorter for sun dogs and the northern lights compared to rain shower rainbows.At least in my area.Personally I've seen a pair of sun dogs on either side of the sun in the winter time up here in the past when I was younger.With the outside pair a little less visible and pronounced.Those happened during a lot colder conditions than we're currently having now.
Seems I did'nt appreciate these things as much when younger.

Title: Re: First sun dogs of the winter
Post by: JEB on January 16, 2018, 07:58:30 am
Great photo.
Title: Re: First sun dogs of the winter
Post by: ty_in_ND on January 16, 2018, 07:59:15 am
Nice picture! We've had some pretty big sundogs here this winter, I just didn't get a chance to take a pic :( . In addition to the two spheres to the left and right of the sun, there was one above it as well. In fact, there was dang near a complete circle of light connecting all 3 sundogs (the sun was still pretty low in the sky, so no 4th).
Title: Re: First sun dogs of the winter
Post by: BowEd on January 16, 2018, 08:38:17 am
Yep you boys up in ND know all about this.They raise em a little different up there.I seem to remember those extras of sun dogs by me too.A complete circle of color around the sun really with highlite spots in the circle.Seems the colors are more pronounced or available to see with the sun at a lower angle to the horizon.I used to call a coon hunting friend just west of Fargo during cold spells.When it was air temp -30 F by me in Iowa it was over -40 F up by him.
Since he was a sheep rancher too I used to ask him exactly what do you get done up there this time of year besides huddling from one building to another during chores???He said that's about it nothing much more besides chucking a lot more wood in the stove also.
All of my relation wanted to move to Florida at some time in their life.I on the other hand wanted to go the other way north or out west.
Title: Re: First sun dogs of the winter
Post by: JW_Halverson on January 16, 2018, 11:37:54 am
Nice picture! We've had some pretty big sundogs here this winter, I just didn't get a chance to take a pic :( . In addition to the two spheres to the left and right of the sun, there was one above it as well. In fact, there was dang near a complete circle of light connecting all 3 sundogs (the sun was still pretty low in the sky, so no 4th).

In NoDak, them dogs run in packs!
Title: Re: First sun dogs of the winter
Post by: Zuma on January 26, 2018, 10:23:42 am
I think there is a dog fish on each side of the sun >:D
The phone photo just does not do the pastel colors justice.
It's sixty degrees with a wind chill of sixty one.
Zuma
Title: Re: First sun dogs of the winter
Post by: UtahChippewa on January 26, 2018, 11:04:45 pm
Does this count as a sun dog? A few days later it finally snowed...
Title: Re: First sun dogs of the winter
Post by: Hawkdancer on January 27, 2018, 12:45:42 am
I think that dog is barking!  We get those here on the Lee side of the Rockies, too.  I haven't checked the official specs on sun dogs lately, but if I remember correctly, it is a reflected image of the sun on a different plane, with or with out cloud or ice crystals.  Sort of from Meteorolgy 101 about 1961!  Feel free to correct/update me
Hawkdancer
Title: Re: First sun dogs of the winter
Post by: bjrogg on January 27, 2018, 06:14:27 am
Great pictures everyone. Ed I know this isn't sun dog I'm talking about but Zuma's pictures reminded me of a rainbow I saw one time. When I was still a bachelor and for some reason had more time and money I flew my Cessna 150 every chance I got. One afternoon my brother and I went up. There where very light showers passing through and we were flying along the shore of Lake Huron. Out over the lake was a brilliant rainbow and it was a complete circle. Actually a double rainbow with two complete circles. Sorry no pictures but diffinatly one of those sights you never forget.
Bjrogg
Title: Re: First sun dogs of the winter
Post by: BowEd on January 27, 2018, 07:24:13 am
Hawkdancer....Your pic looks like a rainbow to me.A very nice picture of one though.Ice crystals are needed for sun dogs so don't appear unless it is in the winter.The ice in the atmosphere acts as prisms.Most times showing though at a low angle to the horizon.The reason we don't see as many rainbows in the winter has a lot to do with the type of rain we see in a season.Rain in the winter is in stratiform.The reason they are called sundogs is because they appear beside or around the sun most times in pairs as a dog does following it's master or as a halo.Rainbows don't.A greek origin word [parhelia] which means beside the sun.A circle completely around the sun in winter is called a halo sometimes called a 22 degree halo and also needs ice crystals in the atmosphere to appear.
As JW said it is a phenomena that just means it's pretty cold outside.
bjrogg....I've always wanted to own my own plane in some ways myself.Cool that you have.My neighbor here does and still to this day flies his most evenings a short while as a person does pleasure riding his horse.In fact he took me for a short flight over my farm to take pics after I trapped out coons harrassing his cats and dog feed pans.Cool experience of a circular rainbow that you saw on the lake I'm sure.Colors of both rainbows and sundogs and halos will be the same as sunlight through ice is the same as water.Difference is sundogs and halos are beside or around the sun and rainbows are'nt.
I have seen double rainbows after rains before and think that was just because there was more moisture in the atmosphere.