On Tue, 6 Dec 2016 12:32:58 +0000
Martin Brown wrote:

I can understand how CZAs get missed. I'd have missed it too if I
hadn't been looking upwards to frame a photograph of a lighthouse.

I had been looking for CZA in the wrong place for years. The first I
saw was when flying a friend's radio control helicopter almost overhead.
Now I regard them as pretty common of course. 120 degree parhelia I
have still only seen twice, but I always look down-sun if there is any
hint.

There is one phenomenon I have seen but not found any mention of it on
the internet or books. A full-colour circum-solar halo at roughly 10-12
degrees. It was early morning in winter and the sun was not high. The
display persisted for quite a while and slowly faded to white. Sadly I
was on the bus to work, had no camera, and 20 years ago had no mobile
phone to contact like-minded friends[*]. By the time I got to work it
had gone.

[*] I phoned one like-minded friend at 3am to tell him about a good
auroral display. His wife answered and said "He's in America. That's
why he didn't meet you for a beer on your usual day!" Oops.


Mike