I believe I first saw mention of the phrase “sun dogs” in a book published by CUP entitled Rainbows, Haloes, and Glories and in the lyrics of Rush song Chain Lightning from the band’s 1989 album Presto. I kind of grew out of Neil Peart’s 1990s lyrics, although still follow the band to this day (actually it was my 30th anniversary of seeing the band perform live last month (June 12, 1980, Newcastle City Hall):
sun dogs fire on the horizon
meteor rain stars across the night
this moment may be brief
but it can be so bright
Anyway, a sun dog (scientific name parhelion, meaning beside the sun is an atmospheric phenomenon that creates bright spots of light in the sky, often on a luminous ring or halo on either side of the sun. This snap I took while dining in our back garden with the kids at about 18h30 on June 30, 2010. It’s not nearly so dramatic as the image from Fargo in the Wikipedia entry on sun dogs, but it’s mine, so here it is
