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Atmospheric Phenomena that Produce What Appears to be Multiple Suns

-- | November 19, 2016

Question: Can you please explain how we can see what appears to be two separate suns in the sky, which are not camera flair? They both leave reflection on water, can both be obscured somewhat by clouds, have different radiant colour, and are different size? One sets in the west (sol) and the other sets south-west. Please see this link as a random example: http://earthmysterynews.com/2016/04/16/is-this-a-video-of-planet-x-or-nibiru/. — Kate

Answer: The photograph in the link you provided is a photograph of a sundog (meteorologists refer to them as parhelia). Sundogs are a rather common atmospheric phenomenon caused by refraction of sunlight by ice crystals in the Earth’s atmosphere. Sundogs typically are observed on either side of the Sun at horizontal distances of about 22 degrees and at about the same elevation above the horizon as the Sun.

Jeff Mangum

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