Colourful moon dog observed, or what?

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A colorful moon dog was observed and photographed by Thomas Sannes, sparking interest among meteorologists who initially identified it as a moon dog, which typically appears white. The phenomenon was notable because the observer claimed to have seen colors with the naked eye, which is unusual for moon dogs, as they usually lack vibrant hues due to low light conditions. The camera used for the photograph enhanced the colors, leading to further discussion about the rarity of this occurrence. Participants in the discussion speculate that this could indeed be a rare variation of a moon dog. Overall, the event highlights the intriguing nature of atmospheric phenomena and the differences in perception between human vision and camera technology.
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Colourful moon dog observed, or what??

Look at the following picture, taken 12/9 by Thomas Sannes:
http://www.storm.no/nyheter/fotograferte-sjeldent-vaerfenomen-3583707.html

He sent the picture to meteorologists, and they made their bet that this rainbow-coloured bright spot on the night sky was some sort of moon dog, although these tend to be uniform white.

Any other suggestions from PF'ers?
 
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Probably a moon dog. Per wiki on moondogs: Moondogs show little color to the unaided eye because their light is not bright enough to activate the cone cells of humans' eyes.

However a camera is much better at capturing color than the human eye in low light.
 


Drakkith said:
Probably a moon dog. Per wiki on moondogs: Moondogs show little color to the unaided eye because their light is not bright enough to activate the cone cells of humans' eyes.

However a camera is much better at capturing color than the human eye in low light.

The observer has affirmed that he DID see colours with the unaided eye (that was what brught his attention to it in the first place), but that the camera sharpened the colours somewhat.

So it was a very rare moon dog from what I understand. I wish I had seen it myself.
 
Last edited:
UC Berkely, December 16, 2025 https://news.berkeley.edu/2025/12/16/whats-powering-these-mysterious-bright-blue-cosmic-flashes-astronomers-find-a-clue/ AT 2024wpp, a luminous fast blue optical transient, or LFBOT, is the bright blue spot at the upper right edge of its host galaxy, which is 1.1 billion light-years from Earth in (or near) a galaxy far, far away. Such objects are very bright (obiously) and very energetic. The article indicates that AT 2024wpp had a peak luminosity of 2-4 x...

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