False sunrise

A false sunrise is any of several atmospheric optical phenomena in which the Sun appears to have risen, but is actually still some distance below the horizon.

A number of different atmospheric conditions can be responsible for this effect, all of which divert the sunlight in such a way as to allow it to reach the observer's eye, thereby giving the impression that the light comes directly from the Sun itself.

The spread of light can sometimes resemble that of the true sun.

Several atmospheric phenomena that may alternatively be called a "false sunrise" are: The term "false sunrise" should not be confused with "false dawn", which is a term sometimes used to refer to the zodiacal light.

This optics-related article is a stub.

A "false sunrise" (in the form of a fragmentary upper Sun pillar ) as seen near Bologna , Italy in October 2008. Note the "lake-reflection" effect which is not real because there is no water in between.