On this September morning, thin clouds high in the atmosphere produced a whole variety of interesting atmospheric effects, many of which can be seen in the top image here. There was a bright Sun halo around the Sun, and two Sundogs to the left and right of the halo. There was also a downward curving arc at the top of the Sun halo, a faint inner halo, and a cross shaped pattern inside the large halo.
For me, the most unusual effect was the parhelic circle, which is the white band of that cirlced the entire sky at the altitude of the Sun (part of which is seen in the bottom image). This circle passes through the Sundogs and can be dimly seen even within the Sun halo. I had never seen (or heard of) parhelic circles until this one appeared in our sky this day.
