Every Sundog Has Its Day...

Today's post was going to be about Neolithic Long Barrows and the Ancestors, but Mother Nature wound up stealing the show with her cheap tricks today, so I'll be blogging about that instead.

A few years back, I found a book about mountains in a B & B which introduced me to a strange atmospheric phenomenon called the 'Brocken Spectre'.  It occurs when you look down from a mountain top onto a solid bank of cloud with a low sun behind you:  if you're very lucky, you see your shadow wreathed in a rainbow ( called a 'Solar Glory').

I was so intrigued by the concept of the Brocken Spectre that I checked it out on the internet.  Lo and behold!  I found a website devoted to weird and wacky atmospheric phenomena, most of which I'd never even heard of,  They had such wonderful names, too.  Like 'Solar Glory' and 'Sundog'.

I managed to spot a Solar Glory/Brocken Spectre combination while looking out of the window on an aeroplane - our plane was tailed by a 'spectre' of itself, accompanied by Solar Glory, and I'd somehow blagged a window on the appropriate side of the plane to see it.  Next time you're flying, and the sun's on the other side of the plane, take a look.  You'll probably see one.

As for sundogs...  I first spotted one when I was out walking in Muirshiel a few years back.  It's a little gleam of light which lies on the same level as the sun when the light's very low and there's a few shreds of cloud or mist about.  The light manifests itself as a little fractured luminous rainbow and it's really rather pretty.  If you're very lucky, sundogs come in pairs, one lying on either side of the sun.

I don't know where they found the word 'Sundog'.  It's a wonderful name, and very evocative. They're fairly common - now I know what I'm looking for, I spot them relatively frequently (if you can call three or four times a year frequent),

I spotted one from the train this morning, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed I'll see another one tomorrow.  I'd love to show you a photo, but taking photos into direct sunlight never really works (and of course, all sundog-spotters mustn't stare direcly into the sun when they're trying to find their quarry!).

And no, I haven't gone quite mad.  In case you don't believe me, click on the link http://www.polarimage.fi/phenom/mixphen.htm you'll be introduced to a bizarre range of solar and lunar special effects!  For sundogs, check out the section on Halos, etc.

Keep watching the skies!!

Every Sundog Has Its Day...

Today's post was going to be about Neolithic Long Barrows and the Ancestors, but Mother Nature wound up stealing the show with her cheap tricks today, so I'll be blogging about that instead.

A few years back, I found a book about mountains in a B & B which introduced me to a strange atmospheric phenomenon called the 'Brocken Spectre'.  It occurs when you look down from a mountain top onto a solid bank of cloud with a low sun behind you:  if you're very lucky, you see your shadow wreathed in a rainbow ( called a 'Solar Glory').

I was so intrigued by the concept of the Brocken Spectre that I checked it out on the internet.  Lo and behold!  I found a website devoted to weird and wacky atmospheric phenomena, most of which I'd never even heard of,  They had such wonderful names, too.  Like 'Solar Glory' and 'Sundog'.

I managed to spot a Solar Glory/Brocken Spectre combination while looking out of the window on an aeroplane - our plane was tailed by a 'spectre' of itself, accompanied by Solar Glory, and I'd somehow blagged a window on the appropriate side of the plane to see it.  Next time you're flying, and the sun's on the other side of the plane, take a look.  You'll probably see one.

As for sundogs...  I first spotted one when I was out walking in Muirshiel a few years back.  It's a little gleam of light which lies on the same level as the sun when the light's very low and there's a few shreds of cloud or mist about.  The light manifests itself as a little fractured luminous rainbow and it's really rather pretty.  If you're very lucky, sundogs come in pairs, one lying on either side of the sun.

I don't know where they found the word 'Sundog'.  It's a wonderful name, and very evocative. They're fairly common - now I know what I'm looking for, I spot them relatively frequently (if you can call three or four times a year frequent),

I spotted one from the train this morning, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed I'll see another one tomorrow.  I'd love to show you a photo, but taking photos into direct sunlight never really works (and of course, all sundog-spotters mustn't stare direcly into the sun when they're trying to find their quarry!).

And no, I haven't gone quite mad.  In case you don't believe me, click on the link http://www.polarimage.fi/phenom/mixphen.htm you'll be introduced to a bizarre range of solar and lunar special effects!  For sundogs, check out the section on Halos, etc.

Keep watching the skies!!