The polar vortex brought snow, school closings, freezing temperatures, and airport delays to the Midwest. It’s also brought this cool visual phenomenon:
Photo Credit: Twitter
This visual effect, as the picture indicates, is called a sundog. Sky & Telescope defines a sundog as “a concentrated patch of sunlight occasionally seen about 22 degrees to the left or right of the sun.” In other words, it creates a couple of “mini suns.”
No one seems to know quite why they’re called sundogs. They’re caused by the refraction of light through ice crystals, creating an ethereal effect that makes the polar vortex just a little more bearable.
Here’s a snazzy shot from Minnesota:
Photo Credit: Twitter
And another shot from Iowa:
Photo Credit: Twitter
The freezing temperatures of the polar vortex can be hard to take, but at least there’s some unique beauty to enjoy. So next time, be on the lookout!
