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Photo courtesy of Lori Anishnabie

On Thursday, April 6 the sun not only came out over the Grand Portage harbor but so did two “sun dogs” nipping at the sun’s heels. Sun dogs are often seen on cold winter days. Some attribute the name to Norse mythology while others say the name “sun dogs” came from the Greek God Zeus walking his dogs across the sky, and the two “false suns” on either side of the sun are his dogs.

For some native people sun dogs are considered to be a sign from the Creator that people should live in respect and harmony with the plants, animals, water, minerals, fire, wind, and humans.

A less fun answer is that sun dogs occur when the sun light passes through a thin cirrus cloud of hexagonal ice crystals “falling with their principal axes vertical,” as stated by the editors of Encyclopedia Britannica.

Whatever you believe about sun dogs is up to you, and there is a lot more out there to read about this interesting weather phenomena. Thank you, Lori Anishnabie for sending in this great picture!