Sunrise diamond dust sundogs.  Imaged by Don Brown of Park City ( Utah Skies ) on February 7, 2003. The sundogs appear to be in front of the distant hills because they were created by diamond dust plate crystals drifting nearby in the subzero air. Glints of individual crystals can be seen as white specks.   Sundogs do not occupy a specific region of space, you could no more catch one than you could a rainbow. They are more the mark of particular angles from the sun along which millions of crystals glint their light most brightly. The vertical line through the sun is an upper and lower sun pillar. Horizontally through the sun and extending brightly beyond each sundog is part of the parhelic circle. ©2003 Donald Brown, reproduced with permission.