Cirrus Clouds and Sundogs

Cirrus clouds, or high level clouds, contain ice crystals. The sun’s light bounces off these ice crystals reflecting the light. Because the ice crystal is a medium, the light bends, this is called refraction. The refraction is what allows us to see the visible wavelengths, and seeing the colors of a bow. Typically sundogs are often visible in the fall and winter months, as more ice crystals are present aloft. The more ice crystals that are present, the more visible the halo is. -Meteorologist Brittany Beggs