Subparhelia and 22 Degree Halo
May 03, 2017
Photographer: Paul Holdorf
Summary Authors: Paul Holdorf; David Lynch; Jim Foster
Ice crystals floating in sub-zero air, when the Sun is shining, can result in spectacular arcs and halos if you're lucky. This photo was captured in Big Sky, Montana, early on the morning of December 3, 2015. Shown above is a beautiful 22 degree halo, brilliant parhelia (sundogs) and striking subparhelia, seen here below the sundogs and the Sun. Note that interesting optical phenomena are often observed at ski resorts as ice crystals, formed from snowmaking equipment, drift in the air just tens of feet above the surface. The texture of hoar frost on the snow surface creates a compelling foreground.
Photo Details: Camera Model: NIKON D7100; Lens: Tokina 11.0-20.0 mm f/2.8; Focal Length: 11mm (35mm equivalent: 16mm); Aperture: ƒ/22.0; Exposure Time: 0.0020 s (1/500); ISO equiv: 100; Software: Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 6.9 (Macintosh).