It looks like a rainbow, but the colourful spectacle is actually a rare weather phenomenon called a sundog. It is caused when the sun refracts through hexagonal-shaped ice crystals that have formed in clouds. Photographer Robert Arn, spotted the scene in Heyworth, Illinois.
Sundog over Heyworth
By wordlesstech team|2013-08-03T19:30:15+03:00Aug 7, 2011|Categories: Natural phenomena|Tags: Cloud, ice crystals, Rainbow|
that is not a Sun Dog… Sun dogs (or sundogs), mock suns or phantom suns, scientific name parhelia (singular parhelion), are an atmospheric phenomenon that consists of a pair of bright spots on either side on the Sun, often co-occurring with a luminous ring known as a 22° halo.
I believe this is what is called an ‘Iridescent Cloud’. Or maaaaybe the bottom half of a ‘Halo’. I’d guess it more likely the former though. But for sure NOT a Sundog.