LAVENDER SUN: Ignited by lightning, hundreds of wildfires are burning in California, smothering the northern half of the state with thick plumes of smoke. The unusually widespread haze is causing a rare atmospheric optics phenomenon--the lavender sun. Many Californians report seeing the sun, when viewed through the smoke, turn a bright shade of purple. Today's edition of http://spaceweather.com features pictures of the phenomenon and an explanation.