Sunrise - December 2

This is an example of the distortion of the sun's image called the  'Chinese Lantern' effect.   I see it more often in the winter when the atmosphere is calm and has settled into layers of different densities.  On this day the coldest and thickest layer settled next to the earth's surface with warmer and thinner layers higher.  The sun's light is refracted differently by each layer.  You need to get up early to see it though.  Once the sun warms the atmosphere, the air will begin to roil, the layers mingle, and the effect will disperse.