HALO AROUND THE MOON
Moderator: S2k Moderators
HALO AROUND THE MOON
There is a halo around the moon. Nothing odd about that but I have looked at the moon with my naked eye and with a very good telescope many many times. I have never seen it look like this??? Any comments???
0 likes
- southerngale
- Retired Staff
- Posts: 27418
- Joined: Thu Oct 10, 2002 1:27 am
- Location: Southeast Texas (Beaumont area)
- southerngale
- Retired Staff
- Posts: 27418
- Joined: Thu Oct 10, 2002 1:27 am
- Location: Southeast Texas (Beaumont area)
-
- Category 5
- Posts: 3453
- Age: 55
- Joined: Sun Oct 27, 2002 4:11 pm
- Location: Southern Maryland
- Contact:
- streetsoldier
- Retired Staff
- Posts: 9705
- Joined: Wed Feb 05, 2003 11:33 pm
- Location: Under the rainbow
"A halo is a ring of light that surrounds either the sun or moon and typically appears as bright white rings. However, some halos can also have color patterns. A halo is an optical phenomenon similar in concept to a rainbow but also very different.
Halos form when the sunlight or moonlight is refracted or bent by ice crystals associated with thin-high level clouds, like cirrus or cirrostratus. The most common type of halo is the 22 degree halo. In this halo, a ring of light 22 degrees from the sun or moon is projected by hexagonal (i.e. six-side) ice crystals with diameters less than 20.5 micrometers.
As light passes through the crystal, it is bent or refracted twice. The two refractions bend the light by 22 degrees from its original direction, producing a ring of light."
Often, a halo around the moon or sun is an indicator of cloudy or rainy weather as high level cirrus and cirrostratus clouds that cause halos tend to drift ahead of frontal systems (especially warm fronts) that produce rainfall.
Halos form when the sunlight or moonlight is refracted or bent by ice crystals associated with thin-high level clouds, like cirrus or cirrostratus. The most common type of halo is the 22 degree halo. In this halo, a ring of light 22 degrees from the sun or moon is projected by hexagonal (i.e. six-side) ice crystals with diameters less than 20.5 micrometers.
As light passes through the crystal, it is bent or refracted twice. The two refractions bend the light by 22 degrees from its original direction, producing a ring of light."
Often, a halo around the moon or sun is an indicator of cloudy or rainy weather as high level cirrus and cirrostratus clouds that cause halos tend to drift ahead of frontal systems (especially warm fronts) that produce rainfall.
0 likes
I've heard Kathy's explanation, too. Then, here's
NASA's explanation:
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap000515.html
NASA's explanation:
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap000515.html
0 likes
- FLguy
- Professional-Met
- Posts: 799
- Joined: Mon Dec 29, 2003 5:36 pm
- Location: Daytona Beach FL
- Contact:
Re: HALO AROUND THE MOON
Rainband wrote:There is a halo around the moon. Nothing odd about that but I have looked at the moon with my naked eye and with a very good telescope many many times. I have never seen it look like this??? Any comments???
yes...it usually occurs when high level cirrus clouds move over that portion of the sky which causes the moon to appear as if it has a halo around it.
0 likes
That's true... when there is a "halo" around the moon (or even the sun) it means that there is a chance of precipitation in the next 12 to 24 hour.
The "chance" includes a shield of precipitation that is not moving in your direction, but close enough to cause the this phenomena.
One evening there was a halo around the moon at my home in southeastern Massachusetts... looking at the radar at that time, it was snowing in northern Maine; this activity moved southeastward, opposed to south to south-southwestward- (which would be rare) toward eastern Massachusetts.
The "chance" includes a shield of precipitation that is not moving in your direction, but close enough to cause the this phenomena.
One evening there was a halo around the moon at my home in southeastern Massachusetts... looking at the radar at that time, it was snowing in northern Maine; this activity moved southeastward, opposed to south to south-southwestward- (which would be rare) toward eastern Massachusetts.

0 likes
Rainband wrote:Thanks guys for the explainations. I guess it is local. I understand the reason for halos...I just never have seen one quite like thisNo ..I haven't been in a pool today LOL
![]()
I was in the pool yesterday... (yes its winter but this is Florida and it was 80)...
I have only seen a moon halo once and I rubbed my eyes like crazy, I thought I was seeing things

0 likes
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 11 guests