This picture of a sundog was taken at 18.45 BST on Friday 14th July from Durham City, England. The optical effect was seen through high cirrus cloud to the right of the Sun.

Also known as "mock suns" or "parhelia", sundogs are formed when light is refracted by ice crystals in cirrus or cirrostratus clouds at a height of more than 5km. They are observed at 22 degrees to the left or right of the sun and in a line that is parallel to the horizon. Note that this particular sundog shows a rainbow effect to the left of the image and also a peculiar bright enhancement of the cloud to the right which tapers towards the edge of the frame. The sundog to the left of the sun was not as prominent.

The above picture was taken with a Fuji S2 Pro digital camera with a Sigma 24-70mm EX DG lens at 70mm. The original image has been cropped to enhance the view.

The same evening at 23.07 BST these wispy bright streamers were seen from a first floor window and are probably noctilucent clouds. These are extremely high clouds that occur in the mesophere at a height of 50 to 80km above the earth's surface. At the time when it is well into twilight on the surface these clouds are so high they are still lit by the setting sun.

This 1/2 second exposure at f/2.8 was taken on a Fuji S2 Pro digital camera with a Sigma 24-70mm EX DG lens at 32mm (ISO 400).