parhelion
Syllabification: (par·he·li·on)
Pronunciation: /pärˈhēlēən, -ˈhēlyən/
Definition of parhelion
noun ( plural parhelia /-ˈhēlēə/)
- a bright spot in the sky appearing on either side of the sun, formed by refraction of sunlight through ice crystals high in the earth’s atmosphere. Also called sun dog.
Origin:
mid 17th century: from Latin parelion, from Greek para- 'beside' + hēlios 'sun'
