parhelic circle
noun Meteorology.
a white, horizontal band passing through the sun, either incomplete or extending around the horizon, produced by the reflection of the sun's rays from the vertical faces of ice prisms in the atmosphere.
Also called
parheliacal ring.
Origin of parhelic circle
First recorded in 1885–90;
parhel(ion) +
-ic
Words nearby parhelic circle
parfum,
pargasite,
parget,
pargeting,
parging,
parhelic circle,
parhelion,
pari passu,
pari-,
pari-mutuel,
paria
British Dictionary definitions for parhelic circle
parhelic circle
noun
meteorol
a luminous band at the same altitude as the sun, parallel to the horizon, caused by reflection of the sun's rays by ice crystals in the atmosphere
Scientific definitions for parhelic circle
parhelic circle
[ pär-hē′lĭk ]
A luminous halo visible at the height of the Sun and parallel to the horizon, caused by the Sun's rays reflecting off atmospheric ice crystals.