As evening approached in Churchill, Canada, it was so cold that ice crystals were sprinkling down on us. And here in this divine golden light, with a chilled out polar bear resting on a frozen lake, a strange vertical rainbow appeared. My guide explained this is called a Sun Dog (the scientific name is parhelion). It is an atmospheric phenomenon consisting of a bright spot on one or both sides of the sun, caused by the refraction of sunlight on flat, hexagonal ice crystals (or diamond dust). Wow! I felt like I was in a fantasy land: bathed in amazing light, with a handsome bear, being sprinkled with diamond dust. What a way to end a glorious day.
As evening approached in Churchill, Canada, it was so cold that ice crystals were sprinkling down on us. And here in this divine golden light, with a chilled out polar bear resting on a frozen lake, a strange vertical rainbow appeared. My guide explained this is called a Sun Dog (the scientific name is parhelion). It is an atmospheric phenomenon consisting of a bright spot on one or both sides of the sun, caused by the refraction of sunlight on flat, hexagonal ice crystals (or diamond dust). Wow! I felt like I was in a fantasy land: bathed in amazing light, with a handsome bear, being sprinkled with diamond dust. What a way to end a glorious day.