A false sunrise is any of several atmospheric optical phenomena where the sun appears to have risen, whereas in reality it is still some distance below the horizon. A number of different atmospheric conditions can be responsible for this effect, all of which have in common that they 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 be deceivingly similar to a real 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.