Atmospheric Optics Page
(all photographs by J. Gerencher)

Ice crystals in the air are responsible for producing haloes, sun pillars, and sun dogs.  Water droplets are responsible for producing glories.

A halo and sun pillar are evident in this photograph.
The sun is located just above the upper edge of the picture.

Sundog.  The setting sun is right of center, but near the
left edge of the picture there is a bright spot on the horizon
and a bright colored area in the clouds above the spot --  the sundog.

The glory surrounds the shadow of the airplane in the clouds below
 and consists of a brightly colored circle of light.