A rare appearance of a rainbow like halo around the sun, a phenomenon called a Sundog was witnessed on Monday morning (November 1) with an eye blinding effect of light being reflected from the sky.
Astronomers explained that the phenomenon as an the effect of ice crystals which are lying in the lowest layer of the earth's atmosphere that refract the sun’s rays causing a ‘sun halo’. The crystals act as prisms that reflect light which is mimicked as bands of colour which are also displayed in a rainbow.
This scarce occurrence is reported to be more common in Cape Town by weather forecasters and astronomers adding that the cirrus clouds drifting in from Botswana had contributed to the phenomenon, which would be the reason why Gauteng residents would find it an unusual sight.
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