Friday, February 1, 2013

APOD 3.3

Along the snowy scape of Lower Miller Creek, Alaska, the quarter moon with its ethereal halo of ice is guarded by two moondogs, more scientifically known as paraselenae. Much like a parhelion--or sundog--the paraselenae are produced beby the refraction of moonlight through thin, hexagonal plate ice crystals found in high cirrus clouds. These particular paraselenae are faint, for they are better viewed when the moon is closer to the horizon when they are more bright; but it still makes a damn good picture!

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