Page 10 • Country Acres | Saturday, January 21, 2023
Sun dogs, a winter joy
PHOTOS BY HERMAN LENSING
Ice crystals blowing through sunlight created a sun dog display Dec. 26, looking southeast from near Greenwald, Minn. The parhelion display lasted until about 10 a.m.
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The cold, blowing, the rarely used variant verb snowy weather just before “dog”, meaning to pester Christmas, 2022, in central and bother. In short, the obMinnesota had some up jects were seen as tracking sides. and trying to trap the sun. The area had a chance Another explanation to see early morning sun is the name was adapted dogs. These atmospheric by English speakers in the apparitions usually occur Middle Ages from the Scanat the Past dinavian word “dag.” The in winter. They are memo- AbyPeek Herman Lensing rable because they are not word is associated with dew daily occurrences – and or mist, possibly because they have the tradition of being predic- misty conditions with the right sun can tors of something. create similar objects in the sky. Some When the temperature, water par- Northern European people told of ticles and wind are just right, those wolves, sometimes called dogs, houndliving in the country can catch good ing or tracking the sun to devour it. Throughout history, sun dogs have views of sun dogs. Sun dogs are one of the gifts from also been seen as portents of one kind nature which are better appreciated the or another. Their use as a predictor less one knows about the reason for of something made it into Williams them. They only occur when small Shakespeare’s “Henry VI-Part 3,” bits of moisture (in this area, generally when Edward of York says, “Three glorious suns, each one a ice crystals) are blown though sunlight, causing rainbow-like arcs on either perfect sun; Not separated with the racking side of the sun or sometimes encircling clouds, the sun. But sever’d in a pale clear-shining While sun dogs, like rainbows, are refractions of light, there is meteoro- sky. See, see! they join, embrace, and logically a bit of difference. Rainbows indicate rain has passed or will soon seem to kiss, As if they vow’d some league inviend. Sun dogs are traditionally seen as olable: signs of wet weather coming. Now are they but one lamp, one The sun dogs can be quite dazzling and throughout history have baffled, light, one sun. In this the heaven figures some impressed and/or bothered people. A bit of research shows they don’t neces- event.” It is doubtful that is exactly what sarily have to be associated with Arctic-like temperatures. They can be seen he said, but it is known that before anywhere in the world, in any month, the 1461 Battle of Mortimer’s Cross, if the conditions are right. In this lo- Edward did convince his followers that cale though, that usually means in the the three suns, two of which are said to be sun dogs, were a sign they would winter. Different cultures have differ- win. Not everyone has interpreted seeent names for the objects. In ancient Greece they are named parhelions, ing sun dogs in such a positive manmeaning “with the sun.” That is un- ner. In the 1870s on the plains in North derstandable – although a bright moon America, John Bourke (1846-1896) , can also create the phenomenon. They during a campaign against the Cheywere, even then, said to be predictors enne nation, reported seeing sun dogs and recorded that local lore said they of wet weather. Other references to them are were a harbinger of a blizzard.Just how “mock suns” or “false suns.” That is accurate sun dogs are in predictions of wet weather is not stated anywhere, but sort of understandable. In Northern Europe and most of whether they are or are not accurate, North America they are called sun sun dogs are seen as something unique, dogs. Just how the name dog came to and beautiful, in the sky. They are anbe associated with them is debated. other example of why we like living on One theory is that it is an adaptation of acres in the country.
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