anthelion

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ant·he·li·on

(ănt-hē′lē-ən, ăn-thē′-)

n. pl. ant·he·li·a (-lē-ə) or ant·he·li·ons

A luminous, white, diffuse spot occasionally seen in the sky opposite the sun on the parhelic circle.

[Greek anthēlion, from neuter of anthēlios, opposite the sun : anti-, anti- + hēlios, sun; see sāwel- in Indo-European roots.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

anthelion

(æntˈhiːlɪən; ænˈθiː-)

n, pl -lia (-lɪə)

1. (Physical Geography) 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

2. (Physical Geography) a white spot occasionally appearing on the parhelic circle at the same height as and opposite to the sun

[C17: from Late Greek, from anthēlios opposite the sun, from ante- + hēlios sun]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

anthelion

A luminous area like a halo sometimes seen in the sky opposite the sun.

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References in periodicals archive ?

The anthelion is a reflected, usually whitish image of the Sun produced in the ice crystals of cirrus clouds.

The Sun, Moon, and Planets in June

The anthelion ("opposite the Sun") is located 180[degrees] of azimuth away from the Sun but at the same altitude.

The Near Sky: Paranthelion

What I saw that morning on my way to school is technically called an anthelion. The sundogs that are more commonly seen are parhelia, prismatic bright spots 22 [degrees] on either side of the Sun.