anthelion
a luminous, white spot occasionally appearing at the sun's elevation but in the opposite part of the sky.
Origin of anthelion
1Words Nearby anthelion
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
British Dictionary definitions for anthelion
/ (æntˈhiːlɪən, ænˈθiː-) /
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
a white spot occasionally appearing on the parhelic circle at the same height as and opposite to the sun
Origin of anthelion
1Collins 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
[ ănt-hē′lē-ən, ăn-thē′- ]
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.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Browse