parhelic circle
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noun Meteorology.
a white, horizontal band passing through the sun, either incomplete or extending around the horizon, produced by the reflection of the sun's rays from the vertical faces of ice prisms in the atmosphere.
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Also called parheliacal ring .
Origin of parhelic circle
First recorded in 1885–90; parhel(ion) + -ic
Words nearby parhelic circle
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for parhelic circle
British Dictionary definitions for parhelic circle
parhelic circle
noun
meteorol a luminous band at the same altitude as the sun, parallel to the horizon, caused by reflection of the sun's rays by ice crystals in the atmosphere
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 parhelic circle
parhelic circle
[ pär-hē′lĭk ]
A luminous halo visible at the height of the Sun and parallel to the horizon, caused by the Sun's rays reflecting off atmospheric ice crystals.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
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