For Kurt: >From "Otis and Marlena" - "She taps her glass with an emory file, watching three >rings in the sun..."
The three rings in the sun are called areoles. They are formed as a result of light difraction on the microdrops of water in the atmosphere. The bigger the drops the smaller the diameter of the areoles around the moon or the sun. The ones around the sun are not usually visible because of the intense brightness, but they can sometimes be seen while wearing sunglasses (Foster Grants!) So, I think that explains it. I am assuming that because Miami is coastal that the three rings in the sun are visible quite a bit, thanks to the intense sunshine and the moisture in the atmosphere above the sea. But, I'm sure Joni didn't consider any of that astronomical stuff when writing the song. She probably realized that you could sometimes see a couple of rings around the sun and thought it was a neat image. And it is! -Andrew Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now
