CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Have you ever gazed at the sky and noticed something extraordinary — like a vibrant rainbow or a mysterious halo around the sun? Let’s dive into the fascinating world of weather optics and explore some surprising phenomena that happen more often than you might think.

Rainbows: Nature’s spectacular prism

Rainbows occur when sunlight and water droplets are in the air at just the right angle. As sunlight passes through these droplets, it refracts (bends) and splits, revealing all seven colors of the rainbow for us to enjoy.

Sun Dogs: Brilliance on a cold day

Sun dogs are bright spots that appear on either side of the sun, especially in cold weather. These striking optical effects result when sunlight interacts with ice crystals in the atmosphere.

Halos: Rings around the

See Full Page