Parhelion

parhelion

[pär′hēl·yən]

(astronomy)

Either of two colored luminous spots that appear at points 22° (or somewhat more) on both sides of the sun and at the same elevation as the sun; the solar counterpart of the lunar paraselene. Also known as mock sun; sun dog.

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific & Technical Terms, 6E, Copyright © 2003 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

The following article is from The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1979). It might be outdated or ideologically biased.

Parhelion

 

(also mock sun, sun dog), a bright circular spot seen in the sky either on one side or on both sides of the solar disk; it is a type of halo. Similar spots formed by lunar light are called paraselenae.

The Great Soviet Encyclopedia, 3rd Edition (1970-1979). © 2010 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.