Zlatko Orbanic in the city of Pula in Croatia sent in this photo, which he shot in September, 2015. It shows a circular 22-degree halo surrounding a setting sun. These ice halos are the result of ice crystals in the upper atmosphere. Within the halo itself, on either side of the sun, you can see two prominent parhelia, also called sun dogs. Also within the halo, above the sun, you’ll see a hint of what’s called an upper tangent arc. And above that is a circumzenithal arc.
Halos appear in our skies far more often than do rainbows. They can be seen on average twice a week in Europe and parts of the United States. The 22° radius circular halo and sundogs (parhelia) are the most frequent.
Deborah Byrd created the EarthSky radio series in 1991 and founded EarthSky.org in 1994. Prior to that, she had worked for the University of Texas McDonald Observatory since 1976, and created and produced their Star Date radio series. Today, she serves as Editor-in-Chief of this website. She has won a galaxy of awards from the broadcasting and science communities, including having an asteroid named 3505 Byrd in her honor. In 2020, she won the Education Prize from the American Astronomical Society, the largest organization of professional astronomers in North America. A science communicator and educator since 1976, Byrd believes in science as a force for good in the world and a vital tool for the 21st century. "Being an EarthSky editor is like hosting a big global party for cool nature-lovers," she says.
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