Subhorizon halos (w-562-07)

In gallery: Photos of the month (2004)
Related photos: Atmospheric optics Ice crystal halos Subsun

This photo was taken from an Embraer 145 jet airplane flying over west Texas, USA. There is a 22-degree halo around the sun, and a faint right parhelion (sun dog). Also, there is a subsun (the bright spot on the lower left) and a right subparhelion (near bottom center). The subsun and subparhelion are caused by light reflecting off horizontally floating plate ice crystals, and are the same altitude below the horizon as the sun is above.

Photo taken using Nikon FE with 14mm Sigma lens at f/11; Fuji Provia 100-F. (The streaks near the sun were caused by diffraction of the bright light by tiny smears of grease and scratches in the window glass of the airplane.).