Sometimes you look up on a clear day or night and see a huge circle of light around the sun or moon. This ring or circle is called a halo by scientists. We get many messages throughout each year from people who’ve just spotted a ring around the sun or moon. Solar and lunar haloes are pretty common, but they’re so mysterious-looking that people often express amazement upon seeing them. Yesterday – May 16, 2012 – EarthSky’s Facebook page received a rash of photos of a beautiful sun halo seen in Washington state.
Sun halo seen in Washington state on May 16, 2012. Image via EarthSky Facebook friend Sean Abbasi
Notice in the photos that the sky looks fairly clear. After all, you can see the sun. And yet halos are a sign of high thin cirrus clouds drifting 20,000 feet or more above our heads.
Sun halo on May 16, 2012 via EarthSky Facebook friend Nonya Justagirl
These clouds contain millions of tiny ice crystals. The halos you see are glints of light from these ice crystals, which have to be oriented and positioned just so with respect to your eye, in order for the halo to appear.
Sun halo seen in Washington state on May 16, 2012. Image via EarthSky Facebook friend Jana Kitty Daze.
That’s why, like rainbows, halos around the sun – or moon – are personal. Everyone sees their own particular halo, made by their own particular ice crystals, which are different from the ice crystals making the halo of the person standing next to you.
Lunar halo via master sky photographer Dan Bush.
Because moonlight isn’t very bright, lunar halos are mostly colorless, but you might notice more red on the inside and more blue on the outside of the halo. These colors are more noticeable in halos around the sun. If you do see a halo around the moon or sun, notice that the inner edge is sharp, while the outer edge is more diffuse. Also, notice that the sky surrounding the halo is darker than the rest of the sky.
By the way, there’s an old weather saying: “ring around the moon means rain soon.” There’s truth to this saying, because high cirrus clouds often come before a storm.
i saw one last night. a ghostly white halo. yes, it’s personal indeed. :)
Wow, thank you so much for the knowledge. Ice crystals.
I have seen one around the moon but not the sun.
Seeing a huge one around the sun today, it truly is amazing
thank you so mutch for puting this on here! i need it for homework!!!!!!!!!!!
You’re welcome!
…what a very nice photo..
..i have seen the lunar eclipse before..
.it was so great…
…everytime i will look for the moon, i will always check its lunar halo..
..thanks..
..more power…
..it’s a very good view here in the Philippines…
it looks like an angle, i am serious it has a halo like a angle.
It has come to my attention that you said the moon is an angle… Is it acute or obtuse! I’m just tricking you! But I am deadly serious that you wrote angle… which makes no sense whatsoever. Unless of course you are referring to the perpendicular angle in which the earth’s surface is in relation to our friend Luna (the moon).
My Mother just informed me that you may have intended to write ANGEL as in the ones from the metaphorical land called heaven. If you did learn the difference before writing on this incredible site in which i spend my many waking hours interacting which other science lovers.
Nice to meet you (Well, I didn’t meet you it was rather an internet Interaction) and have a great evening.
Yours Sincerely
Elliot Brownley. aka “The twelve year old Einstein.”
You’ve just read a comment and it has “come to your attention”? Well, it has just come to my attention that you’re obnoxious. And since you’re pointing out errors, you’re better off using “stated” in place of “said,” since the latter implies the statement in question was spoken. Also, don’t punctuate questions (is it acute or obtuse…) with an exclamation mark–especially when you’re schooling someone else on a typo. Wishing to emulate genius is not the same as genius; assumed precocity is annoying. While we’re on the subject, you don’t need to go overboard and proclaim to be “deadly serious” about what a post states when it’s sitting an inch up the page–your affectation just makes you sound ridiculous, whereas the person guilty of the typo at least comes by his mistake honestly.
Oh. And for what do you propose heaven to be a metaphor? Perhaps you meant mythical… Similarly, you probably don’t need to explain to someone to whom you’re typing that your exchange doesn’t qualify as a meeting.
To put it another way: Be kind to others. We all exhibit stupidity from time to time. You especially.
i agree with cody
thank you ben
ur welcome
Saw a beautiful one tonight.
there is one outside my house while i write this. Its 12:39am, in santo domingo, D.R . august 24 2010.
saw one tonight…..oh what a sight…
saw one lastnight, it was amazing..
Saw a moon halo tonight. Simply amazing.
I’m seeing one tonight the colors are noticeable tonight,11:55 est
@NINA u said that uve seen a GHOSTLY HALO last night,,,,,,,,but ,, a GHOSTLY HALO is not too much differ from a SPACE CRAFT-LIKE…. search it GHOSTLY HALO ,,and u’ll see!!!!!
very useful information , although i’v never seen one myself
I Saw one today around the sun
ive seen a lunar halo 17th august 2011 at 1.00a.m in nagpur, india. Gr8 to observe
The lunar halo at nagpur was so AWESOME! :D
[...] Related Links : What makes a halo around the moon? [...]
Yes! Cool! Ok, What about the halo of the person standing next to you part?
i need something more
I live in Vegas right now and my awesome fun loving great kids noticed the lunar halo!!
I just saw one tonight. I am totally in awe at the splendor of creation. Thank you for explaining it!!
Looking at one now !!!!! 2:36am Lancaster Pennsylvania !!!!
We were in Tunisia when we saw a dark circle around the north star and moon. Not sure what it was but would be grateful if someone can shed any light on the matter.
Aneesa,
How very cool!! Most commonly, a halo around the moon is 22 degrees in radius (44 degrees wide in diameter). In rare instances, however, a lunar halo can extend to 46 degrees in radius (92 degrees wide in diameter). So I’m guessing that you saw a 46-degree lunar halo. For an explanation, read http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/guides/mtr/opt/ice/halo/46.rxml
Bruce
seeing the halo at night makes me feel like a heavenly angel. Its so amazing.
Hi Deborah
Thank you for enlightenment.
My daughter noticed it in amazement in clear London’s night.
But the forecast for tomorrow is sunny .
Just experienced my first time seeing a lunar halo in Fallon, NV 12-10-11. Wasn’t sure what it was so I started looking for answers on line I got to learn something new tonight.
The only time I ever see these halo’s around the moon or the sun, are on the days of heavy chem-trailing over the city. The aircraft leave the sky in a milky haze, and the colors of the halo are caused by the metals, aluminum’s and other chemicals that linger in the atmosphere afterwards.
My daughter just asked about this yesterday! Thanks!
Saw a beautiful moon halo 2 nights ago in Surrey UK and have just posted a photo on my facebook to share with others. Truly inspirational! And YES ..Cody, it is like an Angel!
Just yesterday I saw a sun halo in Rochester Minnesota. Very impressive.
This is the first time I have seen one in Aiken, S.C. It is a very beautiful sight.
Saw my first one tonight wasn’t sure what it was, beautiful yes, was some what frightening at first, a lot of fb posts of world ending matters, but after reading this and a few other posts,i have learned what they are and can see that they are pretty common. Thanks for the knowledge. And god bless!
Sited in Indianapolis Indiana @1:30 a.m.
A question tho, after i saw it about an hour or so later it went away, is that normal for these lunar halo s? Just wondering.
i seen the moon last night jan 7 2012 it was so amazing! and could not wait to see why it as doing that they say weather but i say i think its one beautiful sight!
[...] are some “Winter” images – the ones of the lunar halo (caused by ice crystals in the atmosphere) I just took on Saturday, but the Christmas images are [...]
That would be called a Moon Dog in northern Ontario
Last night I seen a halo around the moon in Ukiah ca. It was soon differant Never seen something like like in all my 50 years ,it looked like a space ship . Are the gate was open to haven and the lord was coming Is it a sign telling us something
.
It is 9 PM CST on Feb. 2, 2012 and there is a beautiful ring around the moon tonight. This is the first time that I have ever seen it. I believe that it is God’s halo.
How rare is it?
Its 9:12pm in Hazard, Ky., the sky is crystal clear and I am seeing my first moon halo. I love it, I think its beautiful!! I am so grateful that my 2 boys and husband got to experience it with me.
Its Because There are Dead Sprits Coming Unto Earth & Having Fun
I Read In Books That Its a Portal around The Moon and Dead Sprits are Coming Into The World For 1 Night
Sunday, February 5, 2012. Oceanside, Ca.
These halos are happening all the time now, where as before they were only visible when conditions were as described above. But unfortunately there is a new more upsetting reason this is happening so frequently all over the world. That reason is from geoengineering, aka:chemtrails. If you don’t know what they are, do some research. I live in the US but have seen them in Ireland, England, France, Austrailia, the middle east etc. It has just started being reported to the public that this is happening.
I saw one the other night. My dad always said, ring around the moon means a rain is to come in 24 hours and based upon how many stars is how many days of rain there will be when the ring shows up in the sky
*HOW MANY STARS INSIDE THE RING!*
In Hawaii the halo around the moon is called “luahoana.” For me, it is one of the most beautiful sights of my life, and I’ve seen it many times.
I might add that I’m a total lunar freak but misspelled my name in the previous email.
Really a wonderful explanation and it is a fascinating one to know the scientific truth.
There was a stunning moon halo over North West France tonight. I saw a royal blue ring around it, although my family just saw the moon. I saw something similar over the Mont Saint Michel a few weeks earlier.
seen a halo tonight. In tennessee, usa…. est time. Very pretty! Seems like i see one every cpl weeks… What do u mean its happening more often? Plz explain ur reason?