Triple the Sunshine: Chasing Parhelia in Abisko’s Winter Wonderland

Picture this: three suns looming over a winter wonderland, a cosmic embrace that could make even the most hardened snow enthusiast crack a smile.

It’s February 3rd, and I find myself snowmobiling through the breathtaking, mountainous region around Abisko National Park in northern Sweden. Mother Nature isn’t just showing off; she’s giving us a cheeky celestial display that looks like something out of a sci-fi film.

Let’s get down to business—those two bright spots flanking our dear old Sun are called parhelia, or as I like to call them, “mock suns.” It’s as if the universe decided that a lonely Sun was just too much pressure, so it conjured up a couple of sidekicks to lighten the mood. But how do these cheeky little suns come to be? Well, it turns out that hexagonal ice crystals suspended in the atmosphere are the culprits. These icy prisms play a marvelous game of reflection and refraction, bending and stretching sunlight in a way that would make any Instagram filter green with envy.

But don’t be fooled; parhelia aren’t just your run-of-the-mill winter phenomena. They’re the VIPs of the atmospheric optics club, commonly seen in winter and at those latitudes where your nose might freeze before you can say “Fika.” These radiant displays lie along the visible 22-degree halo around the Sun, creating a surreal crescent of brilliance in an otherwise muted landscape. When you gaze at this triad of suns, you can’t help but wonder if perhaps you’ve stumbled into an alternate reality, where the laws of physics are less about gravity and more about whimsy.

As I zoom across the snow with the wind whipping through my layers of thermal gear, the whole scene fills me with a child-like joy. If you have ever thought the universe was a bit too serious, you’d be hard-pressed to argue that when faced with the spectacle of three glowing orbs defying conventional summertime logic. You can almost hear Mother Nature snickering, “Who needs a sunny beach when you can have this frosty delight?”

Speaking of frosty, let’s not forget the other perks of being in Abisko during winter: pristine snow, a peaceful silence hanging in the air, and the opportunity to witness the Northern Lights dancing overhead later that night. When daylight fades, the parhelia may vanish, but the magic of this place remains. Plus, it’s always good to know that somewhere in the universe, there’s a trio of suns cheering you on while you sip your steaming cup of cocoa, recapping the day’s adventures.

So, next time you find yourself in a snowy landscape, don’t forget to look up. You might just catch a glimpse of a stellar gathering of parhelia—or at the very least, remind yourself that there’s always room in the cosmos for a little extra sunshine. After all, who doesn’t need a little more warmth in their lives, especially when it’s 20 degrees below zero?
Image via NASA https://ift.tt/6XnBeEO