anthelion

[ ant-hee-lee-uhn, an-thee- ]

noun,plural ant·he·li·a [ant-hee-lee-uh, an-thee-]. /æntˈhi li ə, ænˈθi-/.
  1. a luminous, white spot occasionally appearing at the sun's elevation but in the opposite part of the sky.

Origin of anthelion

1
1660–70; <Late Greek anthḗlion, neuter of anthḗlios opposite the sun, equivalent to ant-ant- + hḗli(os) the sun + -os adj. suffix

Words Nearby anthelion

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British Dictionary definitions for anthelion

anthelion

/ (æntˈhiːlɪən, ænˈθiː-) /


nounplural -lia (-lɪə)
  1. a faint halo sometimes seen in polar or high altitude regions around the shadow of an object cast onto a thick cloud bank or fog

  2. a white spot occasionally appearing on the parhelic circle at the same height as and opposite to the sun

Origin of anthelion

1
C17: from Late Greek, from anthēlios opposite the sun, from ante- + hēlios sun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for anthelion

anthelion

[ ănt-hēlē-ən, ăn-thē- ]


Plural anthelia
  1. A bright white or colored spot appearing at times in the sky opposite the Sun. White anthelia are believed to form from light that is reflected off atmospheric ice crystals; colored anthelia are believed to form from light that is refracted by atmospheric ice crystals. Compare parhelion.

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