What creates sundogs?

Sunlight refracting through ice crystals

Similar spots beside a bright Moon

Sundog Quiz: Ice Crystals and Winter Sky Halos

This sundog quiz looks at the glowing spots that flank the Sun on cold, hazy days. Play an interactive set of 10 questions on ice crystals, the 22 degree angle, flat hexagonal plates, refraction, cirrus clouds, colored edges, the 22 degree halo, moondogs, low sun angles and an old Stockholm painting.

Start Sundog Quiz

🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 150 Seconds

Question 1 / 10 Time: 150s

What
What is a sundog?
Angle
About how far from the Sun do sundogs appear?
Cause
What creates sundogs?
Shape
Which ice crystal shape forms sundogs?
Clouds
Which clouds often contain these crystals?
Color
Which side of a sundog is usually reddish?
Halo
Which ring often appears with sundogs?
Sun
When are sundogs easiest to see?
Moon
What are moondogs?
Painting
Which city is shown with sundogs in a 1535 painting?

Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions

Q1: What is a sundog?
Answer: A bright spot beside the Sun
Its scientific name is parhelion.
Q2: About how far from the Sun do sundogs appear?
Answer: About 22 degrees
That is roughly a hand span at arm's length.
Q3: What creates sundogs?
Answer: Sunlight refracting through ice crystals
Crystals act like prisms.
Q4: Which ice crystal shape forms sundogs?
Answer: Flat hexagonal plates
They drift almost horizontally.
Q5: Which clouds often contain these crystals?
Answer: Cirrus clouds
They form high and thin.
Q6: Which side of a sundog is usually reddish?
Answer: The side nearest the Sun
Colors spread like a weak rainbow.
Q7: Which ring often appears with sundogs?
Answer: The 22 degree halo
Both share the same angle.
Q8: When are sundogs easiest to see?
Answer: When the Sun is low
Morning and evening are best.
Q9: What are moondogs?
Answer: Similar spots beside a bright Moon
They need moonlight and ice crystals.
Q10: Which city is shown with sundogs in a 1535 painting?
Answer: Stockholm
It is called Vadersolstavlan.

Sundog Quiz – Ice Crystals and Winter Sky Halos

Sundogs, or parhelia, are bright spots that appear about 22 degrees to the left and right of the Sun. They form when sunlight passes through flat, six-sided ice crystals drifting nearly horizontally in the air.

The crystals act like tiny prisms, bending the light, so sundogs often have a reddish inner edge. They are easiest to see when the Sun is low and thin cirrus clouds or icy haze fill the sky.

Sundogs often appear with the 22 degree halo, and bright moonlight can make moondogs. A 1535 painting of Stockholm shows a dramatic display of sun halos.

What This Quiz Teaches

Weather fans will enjoy these questions.

What sundogs are
How they form
Where they appear
Which halos join them
Which history mentions them

Did You Know?

Sundogs can appear in any season, not just winter.
Very cold places often show bright displays.
Sunglasses help when looking near the Sun.
Halo displays can include arcs and pillars.
Never stare directly at the Sun.