What Did I See In The Sky? (Picture)

I'd like to welcome you to my first thread.

First I'd like to say I couldn't decide where to post this, so if it should be moved I understand.

I saw something in the sky a couple weeks ago, and I took a picture. I was at a driving range, and I was wearing some pretty good sunglasses, so I was able to look at the sky in the afternoon without being blinded.

What I saw was a "beam of light" coming from the sky, and on top of the beam was a "rainbow". But the rainbow effect was only at the top of this beam, not your ordinary rainbow.

In the picture, the beam looks "bent"(possibly from refraction from the water particles in the atomsphere?). When I saw it, it was more straight.

Anyways, hopefully someone can identify this phenomena, it's really bugging me.

Tree line as a reference point.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/d2855ac6ca6a.jpg[/atsimg]

Thanks.

Looks like a Sundog.

Sundog images.

But I could be wrong. Will try and contact our resident meteorologist


Also, can you post the original unedited photo?

[edit on April 12th 2010 by greeneyedleo]

It definenly a type of halo phenomena. Its hard to say which one without seeing the entire sky or exact position of the sun. My best bet would be that its a sundog.

www.atoptics.co.uk...

May I ask where you are located? Because if its New Hampshire, you may have witnessed this:

www.atoptics.co.uk...

On second thoughts its probably not part of a Lowitz arc....if it was it would be amazing as its one of the rarest halos of all

[edit on 12/4/2010 by OzWeatherman]

That is so not a sun dog.

Can't believe that...lol.

All these pics of sundogs show the sun with a huge circle around it and more false suns appearing.

What the heck guys.

It's NOT a sundog. No way in hell.

It's something else.

Like maybe a rare form of rainbow or something...

Think out of the box please.

Ignore the two posters above OP, they are merely throwing out suggestions without even thinking about it at all....

Just compare the OP's photo to these "Sundog" photos. They look nothing alike....

Look, the sun is over on the Right side of the photo.

The beam is coming from the LEFT side, and BENDS upwards about 15degrees near the end of the beam.

It then turns upwards and stops forming a blip.

I think it is a atmospheric phenomena, but it is not a sundog. It is clearly something else entirely.

Yep, it's likely a Sundog (I thought that too).

I was hoping it was something more interesting, heh..

OzWeatherman: I don't live that close to New Hampshire.

Thanks!

reply to post by heyJude


No it's not. It's some form of novel rainbow or moisture column.

Sundogs form CIRCLES around the sun..........

Not straight lines in other parts of the sky. We are dealing with something different here.

It's clearly a moisture column of some sort causing the reflections.

[edit on 12-4-2010 by muzzleflash]

Originally posted by muzzleflash
reply to post by heyJude

 

No it's not. It's some form of novel rainbow or moisture column.

Sundogs form CIRCLES around the sun..........

Not straight lines in other parts of the sky. We are dealing with something different here.

No, its a sundog. You dont have to have a complete halo around the sun for a sundog to occur. In fact you dont even need a partial circle. If you really think we are wrong, email the guy at atmospheric optics...he will tell you exactly.

Before you tell the OP not top listen to me, just remember what I do for a living. We are trained to spot this kind of stuff

Originally posted by muzzleflash
reply to post by heyJude

 

No it's not. It's some form of novel rainbow or moisture column.

Sundogs form CIRCLES around the sun..........

[edit on 12-4-2010 by muzzleflash]

That is not completely true. Many sundogs do not forum circles: non-circular sundog. If you would look thru the images at the link I provided you will see many sundogs that are not circles at all.

[edit on April 12th 2010 by greeneyedleo]

Here is some unusual pictures taken today in south west Norway, probably a sundog, there was also one on the right side of the sun, but the one on the left appeared much brighter. The green dot is from the camera on my mobile phone.

img535.imageshack.us...

img202.imageshack.us...

reply to post by muzzleflash


There is no point to "thinking outside the box" about weather. Atmospheric phenomenon are fairly well studied.
There are lots of reasons for color to appear in the sky. They all have the same basic cause: light refraction. Water droplets and ice crystals all make prisms. When they sun is at the correct angle to your eye (yep, we all see a different rainbow, even at the same time, because no one's eyes are in the same place as another viewers), you will see a spectrum.

That angle means colors can be seen in many places in the sky. However, you show an arc. The link given to AtmosphericOptics is the best place on the web to find out exactly what you saw. When two arcs cross, you get a spot. Where they cross determines if they are sundog or not. Your picture doesn't show the sun, so only you can decide what to call it.

Originally posted by stars15k
reply to post by muzzleflash

 

There is no point to "thinking outside the box" about weather. Atmospheric phenomenon are fairly well studied.
There are lots of reasons for color to appear in the sky. They all have the same basic cause: light refraction. Water droplets and ice crystals all make prisms. When they sun is at the correct angle to your eye (yep, we all see a different rainbow, even at the same time, because no one's eyes are in the same place as another viewers), you will see a spectrum.

That angle means colors can be seen in many places in the sky. However, you show an arc. The link given to AtmosphericOptics is the best place on the web to find out exactly what you saw. When two arcs cross, you get a spot. Where they cross determines if they are sundog or not. Your picture doesn't show the sun, so only you can decide what to call it.

Thank you for your comment stars15k.
I believe you did not see the pictures on my link and perhaps replayed based on the op picture.
You can clearly see the sun on the pictures I took yesterday, and the pictures were taken from several different angles and places here in town.
I condivide your opinion about this fenomena being natural, yes most probably a reflection.

Originally posted by stars15k
reply to post by muzzleflash

 

There is no point to "thinking outside the box" about weather. Atmospheric phenomenon are fairly well studied.

I disagree because now-a-days, the weather is anything BUT natural. C'mon guys! I'm not saying OPs phenomenon was anything artificial but don't get too complacent in thinking, man isn't messin' with our skies.

Whether intentional, like HAARP or all the man-made purposeful crap we put up there (emissions, satellite junk, aerial pesticides etc) has to effect our skies to some degree.

So, ' fairly well studied'? Yeah, probably. But we're still learning our way around anyway. So couple that (still learning) with artificial junk, how can we possibly know what's what up there?