Last week Dan Urbanski showed us a sun pillar and he also mentioned some other optical phenomenon, including a Halo. I thought I would follow up with this shot of a 22 degree halo so you could have a visual and to continue the science lesson. Haloes are caused by refracted light passing through ice crystals that lie betwixt the light source (which could be a full moon, so look outside tonight)and the viewer. The 6 or 8 sided ice crystals responsible for these Haloes form at temps around 0 or lower.

Anyway, I was photographing the Lakeshore between Eagle Harbor and Copper Harbor when I happened to look behind me (this is something wildlife photographers do on a regular basis just to make sure there are no Moose sneaking up on them) and saw this subtle Halo.

Here's a bit of trivia: Steve Brimm's first appearance on the Pasty Cam was over 3 years ago, not as the photographer - but as the subject. Like me, maybe you have seen the picture below many times before, not knowing it was Steve. I knew he was into dog sledding, but it wasn't until this week that he revealed it was him outside Kauppi's in Mohawk that March afternoon in '98:

Now I'm only remembering this from a lecture given at MTU many years ago, but I believe only six sided crystals are involved. Aditionally, they are rod shaped crystals falling in random pattern so as to allow the halo effect. Six sided flat shaped crystals form another phenomenon salled Sun Dogs which are bright spots to either side of the sun. Although I saw sun dogs in the UP, I've seen more of this God given phenomenon here in Ohio.

The photo and caption make for quite an inspiration. I must confess that while I want to share the Beauty of the Keewenaw with everyone a part of me says be careful. I probably will not see the Beauty destroyed during my remaining years but I wonder about my children and grandchildren.

My Email name is Dabigwater. That is what our four grandchildren (2, 3, 6 &10) call our place on Five Mile Point.

My wife and I check the Pasty Cam each day. We want to spend more and more time there and it is sometimes difficult not to just get in the car (truck) and drive the 600 miles. The Pasty Cam does help. Keep up the good work!

Cannot tell you what a pleasure it is to wake up every morning to these beautiful pictures. A super "added" touch is learning what we have over the past few days. These are shared with all my friends who are "green" about the U.P. Thanks, again.

I agree with the couple from Royal Oak....It is hard when seeing something like this to not get in the car and drive the 9 hours to get back home to the U.P. ~~~~~~~~

Great job on the "Brimmages" site, Steve ... my 10 year old has your home page shot framed & hanging on her bedroom wall (she had a tough time deciding between that, and one of your wolf shots last summer -- even bought it with her saved allowance money!)

Will ordering/purchase info be showing up soon? I'm out of your notecards & would like to get some more!

Sun Dogs are magical when they join you on the ski hill! February 7, 2001, we were skiing at Grand Tarhgee, Alta WY. when the biggest and best in a long time appeared. It was icy cold with the sun shinning through a crystal snow fall. A huge pillar appeared about 3:30 p.m. making the last run of the day amazing. Took a grocery store box camera picture that captured it and my friend standing "in it". Folks thought I was using Black and White film. Told them it was a pure luck shot!
And, if we had used the spiffy camera (in truck), I would have mucked it up! Nature, either in the U.P. or these Rocky Mt. foothills, is awe inspiring.

Hi, the only time I saw Sun Dogs was in Oakhurst, CA just outside of Yosemite. I don't remember the season for sure, but it wasn't winter...maybe Fall or Spring. Beautiful!

I love these pictures and I even more love the wonderful information that goes with them explaining the natural phenomenon. I have 2 questions. 1) when was the last time Steve saw a Moose in the UP? and 2) How can we get rid of the mosquitoes and black flies so that the Yoop is really a place to live for all seasons?

The moose are around the Huron Mountain area, I think, and as for the mosquitoes and black flies, probably we are too old to remember growing up in the glorious UP. Could it be possible they appeared only after we graduated from HHS and moved on to "greener pastures" which have browned a bit????

Yes Walt, you are correct. The crystals are 6 sided but refract light from 8 different surfaces. I should not try to write anything that make sense after midnight.

Susan, I see Moose on Isle royale every year, but I have never seen a Moose on the mainland. Plenty of people do though. We have seen tracks in front of our house a few miles from Copper Harbor.

As far as the Blackflies and the mosquitoes are concerned, I think they are singly responsible for keeping the population down. Besides, everyone knows there are only two seasons here anyhow... shoveling and swatting.

pc2002