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A halo around the Moon and a pair of moon dogs over the observatory at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada.

A '"moon dog', moondog, or mock moon,^[1] (scientific name paraselene,^[1] plural paraselenae, i.e. "beside the moon") is a relatively rare bright circular spot on a lunar halo caused by the refraction of moonlight by hexagonal-plate-shaped ice crystals in cirrus or cirrostratus clouds. Moondogs appear as ~22 degree diameter halo around the moon (see: wiki on 22 degree halo), ...compare halo size to half degree size of moon.^[2] They are exactly analogous to sun dogs, but are rarer because to be produced the moon must be bright, about quarter moon or more. Moondogs show little color to the unaided eye because their light is not bright enough to activate the cone cells of humans' eyes.

References

^ ^a ^b "Definition of paraselene". Collins English Dictionary.
^ Lisle, Jason. The Stargazer's Guide to the Night Sky. p. 83.

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[col-1] "Definition of paraselene". Collins English Dictionary.

[2] Lisle, Jason. The Stargazer's Guide to the Night Sky. p. 83.

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 [[Image:Moon dogs.jpg|thumb|A halo around the Moon and a pair of moon dogs over the observatory at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada.]]
-A '''moon dog''', '''moondog''', or '''mock moon''',<ref name=col>{{cite web|title=Definition of paraselene|url=http://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/paraselene|work=[[Collins English Dictionary]]}}</ref> (scientific name '''paraselene''',<ref name=col/> plural ''paraselenae'', i.e. "beside the moon") is a relatively rare bright circular spot on a lunar [[Halo (optical phenomenon)|halo]] caused by the [[refraction]] of [[moonlight]] by hexagonal-plate-shaped [[ice|ice crystals]] in [[Cirrus cloud|cirrus]] or [[cirrostratus cloud]]s. Moondogs appear as ~22 degree diameter halo around the moon (see: wiki on 22 degree halo), ...compare halo size to half degree size of moon.<ref>{{cite book|last=Lisle|first=Jason|title=The Stargazer's Guide to the Night Sky|pages=83}}</ref> They are exactly analogous to [[sun dog]]s, but are rarer because to be produced the moon must be bright, about quarter moon or more. Moondogs show little color to the unaided eye because their light is not bright enough to activate the [[cone cell]]s of humans' eyes.
+A '"''moon dog''', '''moondog''', or '''mock moon''',<ref name=col>{{cite web|title=Definition of paraselene|url=http://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/paraselene|work=[[Collins English Dictionary]]}}</ref> (scientific name '''paraselene''',<ref name=col/> plural ''paraselenae'', i.e. "beside the moon") is a relatively rare bright circular spot on a lunar [[Halo (optical phenomenon)|halo]] caused by the [[refraction]] of [[moonlight]] by hexagonal-plate-shaped [[ice|ice crystals]] in [[Cirrus cloud|cirrus]] or [[cirrostratus cloud]]s. Moondogs appear as ~22 degree diameter halo around the moon (see: wiki on 22 degree halo), ...compare halo size to half degree size of moon.<ref>{{cite book|last=Lisle|first=Jason|title=The Stargazer's Guide to the Night Sky|pages=83}}</ref> They are exactly analogous to [[sun dog]]s, but are rarer because to be produced the moon must be bright, about quarter moon or more. Moondogs show little color to the unaided eye because their light is not bright enough to activate the [[cone cell]]s of humans' eyes.
 ==See also==