Interesting “Moon Halo” [Pictures provided]
My fiance and I noticed this interesting “ring” around the moon as
we were coming in tonight. It caught both of us off guard and naturally,
we had to take some pictures.
The best physical description I could find for what this amazing sight is comes from wikianswers.com:
“[A moon halo] means there is a certain type of clouds in the atmosphere, which causes this phenomenon.
You’ve seen pictures of the planet Saturn, surrounded by its system
of rings, but would you be surprised if you looked up at night to see a ring
around the moon? In fact, it’s sometimes possible to see just this.
There’s even a folk rhyme about it: When there’s a ring around the moon,
rain or snow is coming soon. Is there really, sometimes, a ring around
the moon?
An Optical Illusion Unlike Saturn, which has actual, physical rings,
the ring you can sometimes see around the moon is merely an optical
illusion. It’s an effect of our own atmosphere that meteorologists call a
“halo effect,” because diffracted light rays create a halo around a
bright object.
How It Works Moon halos are caused by tiny ice crystals
that have gathered twenty thousand feet above the ground, as thin,
wispy clouds. These clouds are so thin, you might not notice them at
night, if it weren’t for their effect on the moonlight. Incoming light
rays from the moon are bent, or diffracted, by these ice crystals at an
angle of 22 degrees.
This means that in addition to the direct moonlight, you will also
see diffracted moonlight in a circle 22 degrees away from the moon. This
is about the distance of your fist, held at arm’s length.
Like a rainbow, this halo can even be slightly colored; red on the
inside, and blue on the outside. Yes, it can mean that rain or snow is
coming soon. Those high, wispy clouds could be the forerunners of storm
clouds right behind them.” (1)
Gaia provides us with the most wonderful of sights, and we simply
have to look up to see them! There is, of course, usually an explanation
for everything and for me at least, this awesome “moon halo” does not
have to be something spectacular to still get my attention and amaze me.
To me, this sight seems a sign of the wonderful times we are heading
into. It doesn’t have to be a true sign of something amazing to convince
me of this, because the most awe-inspiring things can come to us in the
form of something we’d likley write-off.
While some may see this marvel as nothing more than a simple optical
illusion, I see it for the miracle that it is. It is beautiful!
-Wes Annac
(1) – “What does it mean when there’s a ring around the moon?” at:
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_does_it_mean_when_there%27s_a_ring_around_the_moon
Thanks to: http://wesannac.com
My fiance and I noticed this interesting “ring” around the moon as
we were coming in tonight. It caught both of us off guard and naturally,
we had to take some pictures.
The best physical description I could find for what this amazing sight is comes from wikianswers.com:
“[A moon halo] means there is a certain type of clouds in the atmosphere, which causes this phenomenon.
You’ve seen pictures of the planet Saturn, surrounded by its system
of rings, but would you be surprised if you looked up at night to see a ring
around the moon? In fact, it’s sometimes possible to see just this.
There’s even a folk rhyme about it: When there’s a ring around the moon,
rain or snow is coming soon. Is there really, sometimes, a ring around
the moon?
An Optical Illusion Unlike Saturn, which has actual, physical rings,
the ring you can sometimes see around the moon is merely an optical
illusion. It’s an effect of our own atmosphere that meteorologists call a
“halo effect,” because diffracted light rays create a halo around a
bright object.
How It Works Moon halos are caused by tiny ice crystals
that have gathered twenty thousand feet above the ground, as thin,
wispy clouds. These clouds are so thin, you might not notice them at
night, if it weren’t for their effect on the moonlight. Incoming light
rays from the moon are bent, or diffracted, by these ice crystals at an
angle of 22 degrees.
This means that in addition to the direct moonlight, you will also
see diffracted moonlight in a circle 22 degrees away from the moon. This
is about the distance of your fist, held at arm’s length.
Like a rainbow, this halo can even be slightly colored; red on the
inside, and blue on the outside. Yes, it can mean that rain or snow is
coming soon. Those high, wispy clouds could be the forerunners of storm
clouds right behind them.” (1)
Gaia provides us with the most wonderful of sights, and we simply
have to look up to see them! There is, of course, usually an explanation
for everything and for me at least, this awesome “moon halo” does not
have to be something spectacular to still get my attention and amaze me.
To me, this sight seems a sign of the wonderful times we are heading
into. It doesn’t have to be a true sign of something amazing to convince
me of this, because the most awe-inspiring things can come to us in the
form of something we’d likley write-off.
While some may see this marvel as nothing more than a simple optical
illusion, I see it for the miracle that it is. It is beautiful!
-Wes Annac
(1) – “What does it mean when there’s a ring around the moon?” at:
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_does_it_mean_when_there%27s_a_ring_around_the_moon
Thanks to: http://wesannac.com