Left and right parhelia with tails. The spots are situated on a line through the Sun parallel with the horizon.
Parhelia frequently are very colorful.
Hues of red lie toward the Sun. Fully developed, they have a long, white-blue tail extending away from the Sun parallel to the horizon. Parhelia are sometimes so bright that observers are dazzled. Parhelia are caused by flat, plate-shaped hexagonal ice prisms. If these plate crystals fall unimpaired, drag forces automatically orient them horizontally.