47
w w w . d i s t i n c t l y m o n t a n a . c o m
am-Webster defines as "a luminous appearance
seen in connection with lunar halos." From
people at the fort who saw it, and also from trav-
elers who arrived the next day, he drew the con-
clusion that they had witnessed "a cross on the
solar disc at sunrise, an event which does not
appear in ordinary parahelia" (sun dogs). For
him, this display was a miracle, a "sublime sign
of our redemption." The next day, "to preserve
the memory of all of these events so glorious to
Catholicism," the missionary, with the help of the children of the
fort, built a stone pyramid over the grave of a child who had been
buried that day. He placed a wooden cross atop the small pyramid
and hoped that future generations of Blackfeet would look upon
the "little monument" and recall "the goodness the Lord did for
their forefathers during the year 1847."
A spectacular example of the phenomenon Point described oc-
curred in Sweden on December 1, 2017, and was captured by me-
teorologist Seth Phillips. He described the event as consisting of
two sun halos (22° and 46°), a tangent arc, a sun pillar, parhelic
circle, and parahelia (sun dogs)," noting how rare it is for all of
these to occur simultaneously. "When it does, it is the crème de
la crème of atmospheric arcs!" He explains that these arcs form
"when ice crystals high in the atmosphere are in the perfect place
for the observer to see the sun's light refracted." These atmospher-
ic optics occur on sunny days when cirrus clouds occur high over-
head. The sun dog is one expression of solar halos. Like the one
that occurred at dawn in 1847, they are most visible when the sun
is near the horizon on extremely cold days.
406.679.3999
4185 Garryowen Road
Suite B, Garryowen, Montana
visitcrowcountry.com
Experience Apsáalooke Culture & History
Montana's Living Heritage Awaits
Crow-guided Battlefield tour • reservation tours
P l a n y o u r s u m m e r i n C r o w C o u n t r y P l a n y o u r s u m m e r i n C r o w C o u n t r y
