Primary rainbows are red on the outside, while sun dogs are red on the side closest to the sun, grading to blue, away from the sun. They develop as light is refracted through ice crystals. How visible the sun dog's colors are, depends on how much the ice crystals wobble as they float in the air. The more wobble, the brighter the colors.
Why are they called sun dogs? Some say it's because they sit beside the sun like a loyal dog stays by its loving master. The term dates back to the early 1600s, so who's to say for sure.
What's interesting is that today is the Epiphany, which celebrates the Magi, or the Three Wise Men, who followed the Christmas Star to Bethlehem. Some believe the Magi wer astronomers, who paid close attention to the stars and planets in the sky. Isn't it interesting that today, of all days, we are presented with another phenomenon in the sky?
The Magi saw the star and followed it. Do you suppose it was really a planet?
ReplyDeleteDid a bit of research on the Star of Bethlehem. One article reads: Could the Star of Bethlehem have been caused by a 'great conjunction' of the bright planets Venus and Jupiter? On June 17, 2 B.C., the planets had come so close they would have almost appeared as one object, similar to the conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in 2020.
ReplyDeletePossible explanation.....