"The sun looked like a stack of pancakes," says Zinkova.
This is caused by the onset of June temperatures while it is still March. Right now, the ocean is winter cold, while the air is summer hot. The mismatch sets up unusually strong temperature gradients and inversions, which refract the rays of the sun, bending the solar disk into strange shapes.
"Pancakes" are a sign of ducting. In an atmospheric duct, the air is sliced into layers of different temperature, with cold air sandwiched between warm air. The layers act like a wave guide. Very long ducts give the rare Novaya Zemlya effect with a whole shimmering stack of narrow stripes.
atoptics.org.uk/atoptics/mirteโฆ
"I have seen quite a few Novaya Zemlya sunsets, but the one I saw on March 17 was special," says Zinkova. "The refraction was so strong that the sunset was delayed for 14 minutes! At times, it felt as the universe was standing still."
spaceweather.com
Good morning, good people (not you, Senator Slotkin)! ๐๐บ๐ธโ๏ธ๐ญ
How about a nice heat dome?
SUNSET UNDER THE HEAT DOME: A record-setting heat dome over the US West Coast is so extreme, it's squashing the sun. Mila Zinkova recorded the phenomenon on March 17th from San Francisco, California
@popeyeusn7 Good for you! He prefers that I do that kind of work. Iโm ok with it because Iโm a perfectionist. He knows not to ask me to take out garbage, shovel snow or mow the grass. So I guess we are even. ๐
Alright Xers! Off to play some golf! Iโll check in periodically..Yes, thatโs me crushing it on the driving range!!๐คฃ๐คฃ๐คฃโณ๏ธ๐๏ธโโ๏ธ