ALTHOUGH its night can be beautifully clear and still, occasionally, autumn often brings with it dreadful weather, resulting in extended periods of nights ruined by cloud, wind and rain, hiding the stars from view for days at a time. But even if the stars are often hidden, at this time of year, with lots of high, icy cloud flowing across the country the daytime skies often offer other spectacular sights. Sometimes we can see 'mini rainbows' shining on either side of the Sun, usually when it is low in the sky, after sunrise or before sunset. Some are quite faint and look like just bright silvery patches, but occasionally, if conditions are just right, you can see strikingly bright, vividly-coloured splashes of gold, yellow and blue on either side of the Sun.

These are 'Sun Dogs,' or 'parhelia' to give them their proper name, and they're caused by sunlight interacting with ice crystals in the atmosphere. They can be seen at any time during the year if conditions are right, and at this time of year those conditions occur quite frequently, so keep an eye open for them (note: you might only see one Sun Dog instead of a pair if the clouds aren't quite right on the other side).

So, keep an eye open for Sun Dogs, and if you see them try taking some pictures. No fancy or high-tech camera is needed, just the camera on your phone should capture them, especially the brightest displays.

Stuart Atkinson

Eddington Astronomical Society of Kendal.