Heiligenschein

Forms when sunlight is focused and reflected back toward the sun along nearly the same path that it took originally. It doesn't travel along the exact path; it actually spreads out just enough to be seen as bright light around a shadow.

Glories

Otherwise known as waves in the sky. When the clouds are blown in all directions causing the clouds to look like they are going in all different directions.

Cloud Iridescence

Iridescent clouds are a diffraction phenomenon. Small water droplets or even small ice crystals in clouds individually scatter light. Large ice crystals produce halos, which are refraction phenomena rather than iridescence. Iridescence should similarly be distinguished from the refraction in larger raindrops that gives a rainbow.

Corona

When the moon is seen through a thin veil of clouds composed of spherical water droplets a bright ring of light may appear to rest on the moon. Due to diffraction. Seen on cloudy nights.

Rainbow (primary and secondary)

When rain is falling in one part of the sky and the sun in shininh in another. Observer must face the falling rain with the sun at our backs to see the rainbow. Everyone sees their own rainbow.

SunDog

When the sun is near the horizon in a halo, ice crystals and observer are in the same horizontal plane, the observer will see a pair of brightly colored spots on either side of the sun. Usually grade from red on the inside closest to the sun to blue on the outside. Seen near sunset.

Halo

A ring of light encirling and extending outward from the sun or moon. When sunlight or moonlight is refracted as it passes through ice crystals. Seen a lot during the winter.

Mirages

Superior:

Created by light passing through and being bent by air layers of different densities. When temperature changes more, the more the light rays are bent. Seen anyday the sun is beeming down.

Inferior:

When the air near the ground is much warmer than the air above, object may not only appear to be lower than they really are but also inverted.



Green Flash

Seen near the upper rim of a setting or rising sun. When its very hot or when an upper-level inversion exists, the green light is magnified by the atmophere. Lasts about a second. In polar regions it lasts longer.

Twinkling Stars

When starlight enters the atmosphere, in often passes through regions of differing air densities. These regions deflect and bend the tiny beam of starlight, constantly changing the position of the star.

Seen on any given night when you can see the stars.

Twilight

When the sky is illuminated and allows outdoor activities to continue without artificial lighting.

Happens before sunrise and after sunset.

Glitter Path

Crepuscular Rays

The scattering of sunlight by dust and haze produces white bonds of crepuscular rays, sometimes called "Jesus Rays" or "The opening of Heavens Gates".

Seen on any sunny day that has clouds.

Yellow Moon

More scattering of light. See blue moon for other info.

Blue Moon

The size of the suspended particles are present the tend to scatter which causes the bluing of the moon.

 The third full moon in a three-month calendrical season that has four full moons.

Yellow Sun

Less scattering of light. Most likely to appear midday. See red sun for further info.

Red Sun

Selective scattering of radiant energy by a thick section of the atmosphere. The sun can appear yellow, orange, or red. The more the scattering of sunlight, the redder the sun appears. Most likely to see them during sun set or sun rise.

Hazy Days

Haze is traditionally an atmospheric phenomenon where dust, smoke and other dry particles obscure the clarity of the sky. The World Meteorological Organization manual of codes includes a classification of horizontal obscuration into categories of fog, ice fog, steam fog, mist, haze, smoke, volcanic ash, dust, sand and snow.  Sources for haze particles include farming, traffic, industry, and wildfires.

Blue Skies

You see blue skies all the time. Whether it be cloudy or clear, it's there. That brilliant blue color in the sky.

Formation:

Billions of air molecules selectively scatter the shorter wavelengths of visible light more effectively than the longer one. That causes us to see blue light coming from all directions. 

White Clouds

You can see white clouds at anytime of day really. As long as there is visible light.

Formation: Tiny cloud droplets scatter visible light in all directions, light from billions of droplets turn into a white cloud.