MEANING
A bright spot near the sun, caused when atmospheric ice crystals refract sunlight.
Use it for
Name a bright atmospheric spot beside the sun, especially in icy weather.Give a cold sky an uncanny second sun or a precise natural detail.
Words that belong together
- bright parhelion
- parhelion beside the sun
- pair of parhelia
- parhelion in a halo
On the page
A parhelion glimmered beside the winter sun, a second bright eye in the cloud.
Nearby words
Word forms
- Base
- parhelion
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Usage notes
A rare atmospheric-optics term; its plural is parhelia, and it is sometimes called a sundog.
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