Sundog! (big pic--dial-up warning)

Well, actually not a sundog, but a halo around the sun. Please notice the ring wich is parallel to the hrizon at the midpoint of the ring. The line right on the sun is an optical effect, while the (seeming) extension on the halo is quite real.

This was actually a double halo with double rings (midpoint as seen, and on at the top of both rings--that looks like a smile touching the halo!) and there was diamond dust floating in the air (ice crystal fog) which can sort of be made out in the bottom of the pic. The atmosphere appeared MAGICAL that day.

This pic was taken with a disposable camera, using only a set of polarizing glacial sunglasses as a filter. No fooling, that was the set-up.

Where did you take it?

The safety training area (happy camper school) near McMurdo station. Just peaking over the ice fog is the tip of Mt Erebus, complete with a nice banner cloud curving over the top.

I hated my boss when I was down there, but looking at these pics (I have others) is REALLY making me want to go back. :(

Ah nostalgia.....

Beautiful picture, and I do think it's an actual 'sundog'. Probably not the brightest one, but sure this is one.

These are much more common at the South Pole than on the coast.



Although now that I look closer I see this is just a single halo, and not a double like I was looking at (but couldn't fit in the frame.)

:D :D

:hi:

Are you a glacial geologist, by chance?

most of my professional work was in petroleum. I went to the ice as a fuelie--just to get down there.

I might make a few phone calls after I finish grad school and go back next year. We'll see.

I decided yesterday that I want to go to grad school for glacial geology.

I plan on going to the University of Minnesota, Duluth in the fall of 2007. I want to take a year off after I graduate because I've been in school for too long and I'm sick of it.

never work in oil. Numbe one, the oil companies ARE that bad and two, they shuck and jive on you so you never really get all that cash you'd think.

I was a flunky (no MS here) so I had to work on the rigs. But even the company geologists have it pretty bad. I took a lot of nervous sounding calls from geologists whose career could be riding on that one more dry hole vs a big payoff.

I love not working in that environment anymore.

Good luck with the glacial--you shovel carrying weirdo! ;)

it's that bad, eh?

I have a friend who graduated last fall in geology and he works for an oil company up in ND. Apparently he likes it. :shrug:

Yeah, I'm a shovel carrying weirdo. I even have one that folds up that I put on my hiking back pack. :P