A fairly rare meteorological event happened over Omaha, Nebraska, Wednesday.  A sun dog.

National Geographic describes a sun dog as “glowing parentheses”. “Typically seen to the left and right of a low-lying sun, sun dogs, or parhelia, can take a number of forms—from slightly brighter segments of a solar halo (as shown) to rainbow-hued horizontal streaks to blinding spots nearly indistinguishable from the sun itself.”

The sharpness, movement, and orientation of hexagonal, cloudborne ice crystals determine a sun dog’s shape, sharpness, and color. Mottled, wobbling, or tall crystals, for example, generally result in more diffuse or colorful displays.

The atmospheric phenomena can be seen globally in any season—and even on other worlds. Eight-sided ammonia crystals above Jupiter and Saturn, for example, may spawn quadruple sun dogs, according to physicist Les Cowley.

Read the full story in National Geographic.