Nov 6 2009Geekologie Reader Snaps Shot Of Moon Dog
I'm not going to lie to you (although I usually do), I had no idea what a moon dog was when Geekologie Reader em_kay11 sent me this picture (high-res version HERE) of one he took early Wednesday morning. Per Wikipedia:
A moon dog or moondog (scientific name paraselene, plural paraselenae, i.e. "beside the moon") is a relatively rare bright circular spot on a lunar halo caused by the refraction of moonlight by hexagonal-plate-shaped ice crystals in cirrus or cirrostratus clouds. Moondogs appear to the left and right of the moon 22° or more distant. They are exactly analogous to sun dogs, but are rarer because to be produced the moon must be bright and therefore full or nearly full. Moondogs show little color to the unaided eye because their light is not bright enough to activate the color photoreceptors in humans.
Cool, a moondog! Can we keep it, daddy? Can we pleaaaase? I'll feed it and walk it every day. And if it ever moon-cheeses on the carpet I promise I'll clean it up and spray the area real good with pet odor-neutralizer and everything. No? Well how about a reptile? I like turtles.
Thanks em_kay11, now how about a mooncat?
Related Stories
Cute Stop-Motion Video Made With Post-Its (06/16/2009)
Reader Makes Periodic Table Of Superheroics (05/06/2009)
YOU SLEPT WITH WHO?: X-Men Universe Relationship Map (07/07/2009)
Tired Yet?: The Periodic Table Of Controllers (03/24/2009)
Wicked!: Vincent Van Gogh Counter-strike Map (12/03/2008)
Reader Comments
1. first - November 6, 2009 12:17 PM
hey
2. tn11 - November 6, 2009 12:17 PM
so.... where is the dog? or am i blind?
3. Hannukah Montana - November 6, 2009 12:23 PM
How about a moondino? I've seen some of those basterds running around my moonyard on a moonly aftermoon.
4. ciao - November 6, 2009 12:23 PM
It reminds me of a frog egg for some reason....In other words it should be called a moon frog. :B
5. suomynonA - November 6, 2009 12:31 PM
Ive seen one of those before in person. Its nice. Love the glow thats directly on the moon...
6. LSDiesel - November 6, 2009 12:46 PM
@2, not blind.....
This is amazing.
7. Richard - November 6, 2009 12:47 PM
no moon dog in that picture, only a very common halo. a moon dog would be a bright spot to the left and also to the right-hand side of the actual moon.
8. JADE - November 6, 2009 12:51 PM
@7 was thinking the very same thing. Pretty picture but not a Moon Dog.
9. noogaloopagus - November 6, 2009 12:58 PM
Really? Slow news day huh? You need to pull that pic of the page before the two of you are further embarrassed.
What it's really called is a "Lunar Giraffe." Very rare occurrence only visible in the equatorial plains of Africa.
Had you going didn't I?
10. nfo - November 6, 2009 1:05 PM
wow. fail.
also is em_kay11 trying to birddog this as a moondog?
11. naas - November 6, 2009 1:05 PM
looks like a photoshop lens flare, only more organic
12. cliff - November 6, 2009 1:08 PM
You crazy americans. would you react the same way to a picture of snow? good grief, how did this make Geekologie's page?
13. yaksik - November 6, 2009 1:09 PM
if _kay11 sees this message could they please tell me whether they live in oxford because i saw this on my boat that night, however someone is likely to pwn me by saying "bro you can see this all over the world you tool, im so drunk you suck"
14. Pat - November 6, 2009 1:10 PM
Nice shot em_kay11!
15. jimu - November 6, 2009 1:10 PM
an actual moon dog:
http://spaceweather.com/swpod2008/27apr08/Agust-Gudmundsson1_strip.jpg
16. naas - November 6, 2009 1:16 PM
@15 looks more like a sun puppy, but impressive nonetheless
17. em_kay11 - November 6, 2009 1:45 PM
Its not photoshopped, I took a few other pictures of it at different exposured, they came out decent due to the lack of having a tripod... (which I ordered).
@15 & 7 I think that's a Sun dog actually, the name gives it away... I tried to get some ref as to what moon dogs look like exactly, from what I read my pic it seemed to match. Yeah its similar to what a Sun dog looks like, but not all characteristics are!
Here's another http://www.ultimatechase.com/Chase_Accounts/moon_rings_stock_photos.htm
@ 13 In Woodstock actually!
18. em_kay11 - November 6, 2009 1:51 PM
http://pixdaus.com/?sort=tag&tag=moon%20dog
I guess that's a more "true" moon dog, but at the same time it was still a really nice view in person, and who knows maybe I just missed the peak action of the event~
19. _me - November 6, 2009 2:02 PM
Beautiful pic, but you missed the sighting of the more important thing GW mentioned. The Moon Kat.
20. Your Father - November 6, 2009 2:20 PM
Pretty cool picture. It is said that when these "halo's" appear that it rains the next day. I've seen it happen quite consistently
21. shellshell - November 6, 2009 2:20 PM
Why are people giving em_kay11 a hard time...it's a good picture and personally I didn't know what a moon dog was until I read this post...so thanks em_kay11.
22. naas - November 6, 2009 2:32 PM
I'm not giving anyone a hard time & I've never heard of a moondog before either. It just reminded me of the photoshop flare effect, I never said it wasn't real
23. shellshell - November 6, 2009 2:36 PM
naas get yourself outta your ass, i wasn't talking directly to you!! I'd only heard of a moon pig from that annoying card advert haha!!
24. meme - November 6, 2009 2:39 PM
That's not a moon dog, just a regular halo that happens all the time. For it to be a moon dog there would have to be 2 very bright spots to the left and right of the moon. @17 And it's not a sun dog, because it is a picture of the moon, not the sun.
25. pwall5000 - November 6, 2009 2:42 PM
"You're the moon now, dog!"
26. paul - November 6, 2009 2:47 PM
I think the moon halo is a pretty cool guy.
27. squidbeetle - November 6, 2009 3:43 PM
doesn't look like a moon dog at all. i don't see no stinkin bright spots.
cool halo, but my eyes are blurry enough that i can see halos on candles.
28. naas - November 6, 2009 4:57 PM
@23 while I was responding to what you said, I wasn't responding directly to you. Don't get those panties of yours all wound up in a bunch over there
29. SLeeZeY - November 6, 2009 5:12 PM
'Lunar Halos' happen all the time over Clacton, UK. maybe something to do with the damp air above the north sea contributes to their frequent appearance, a lot of Siberian winds come down this way and interact with the gulfstream coming upwards.
30. yaksik - November 6, 2009 5:29 PM
oh my god em_kay11 thats incredible, i almost dont want to say it and sound like my silly parents but im going to anyway: small world eh? (i live in kennington btw we should totally party hard next caturday)
31. jaime - November 6, 2009 5:47 PM
i've seen a million of those!
32. Kar - November 6, 2009 10:54 PM
I've been lead to believe by Clarissa Explains it All that this indicates snow.
33. Gar - November 7, 2009 1:10 AM
Duh, and then everyone will wonder where the next moondog influenzae came from .... good job you there !
34. Rimba - November 7, 2009 7:54 AM
I''ve got a photo too, but it sucks cause of my P*o*S camera...
http://tinyurl.com/ygd6vpo
35. Schuenator - November 8, 2009 1:07 PM
Boy, I feel stupid. My friends and I always called this a frost moon.
36. free online adventure games - November 8, 2009 10:59 PM
It must be a very beautiful moon. Wish I could see it with my own eyes.
37. Jaded Icon - November 9, 2009 8:08 AM
Meh....
38. Sammy Hancock - November 9, 2009 11:21 AM
I took one of these years ago on Christmas Eve!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sammyhancock/2134014809/
I just renamed it because I didn't even know it was called a Moon Dog, pretty neat.
I just remember coming home and seeing it and I had to grab a photo, not as clear as the one posted though.
39. Seth - November 10, 2009 9:14 AM
Just to reiterate, this is not a picture of a moon dog, but a lunar halo,