antihelion
|an-ti-hel-i-on|
/ˌæn.tiˈhiː.li.ən/
bright spot opposite the sun
Etymology
'antihelion' originates from Modern scientific coinage based on Greek elements: 'anti-' meaning 'opposite' and 'helios' meaning 'sun'.
'antihelion' was formed in Neo-Latin/modern scientific usage from Greek components 'anti-' + 'helios' and was adopted into English in the context of atmospheric optics and halo phenomena.
Initially coined to denote a point or bright feature located opposite the sun; over time it has retained this specialized meteorological/optical meaning without major change.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a bright spot or small group of bright spots on the parhelic circle located approximately 180° opposite the sun, produced by reflection/refraction of sunlight in ice crystals in the atmosphere.
At dawn we noticed an antihelion on the parhelic circle opposite the rising sun.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/10/07 02:07