The circle is like perfectly around the moon. I've NEVER seen a ring like this around the moon. I look at the moon very often. What is happening here? This is not from the camera, it looks like this in real, even brighter I would say.
by Parking_Midnight7452
22 Comments
Have you googled it? First hit has the explanation.
Moon Halo or 22 degree halo.
“It forms as sunlight or moonlight is refracted by millions of hexagonal ice crystals suspended in the atmosphere”
Looks like a halo caused from high cirrus cloud. You get the same effect with the sun too 😊
Wait till you see a moon bow! They are cool!
Called lunar or winter halo, phenomena of moon light passing through ice crystals in the atmosphere
It’s a halo. Usually happens when there’s precipitation or very thin cloud cover.
Its ice crystals in some thin clouds. Ive seen that before. Ive read that it can be a sign rain is coming soon but im not sure about that. I actually saw the same thing last night and tonight its snowing so maybe theres something to it.
Lunar halo.
Something to do with the light refracting off the ice suspended in the air.
There was a really interesting documentary on the BBC about it 15 ish years ago but I’ve forgotten the name.
It’s a Spin membrane. Nothing to worry about.
Cold front coming your way
Out of curiosity, do you live somewhere warm, and potentially dry? I only ask because I’ve see a lot of moon halos, but I live in Nebraska and they seem way more common in the winter.
It means it’s going to snow tomorrow.
We call that a moondog, where I come from.
Moonring! It’s a halo formed around the moon (and sun as well!) by atmospheric ice crystals. They tend to show up when it’s bitterly cold out and there’s wispy cirrus clouds. If you see two bright spots at the 3:00 and 9:00 positions, those are called moondogs or paraselenae.
It’s a very similar phenomenon to the one that causes light pillars to appear on cold nights.
I saw that tonight as well. Biggest one I’ve seen in my life. Usually they are much smaller.
Moondog. Caused by ice crystals in the upper atmosphere. I have a picture of a sundog I’ll edit in a few minutes when I find it.
https://imgur.com/a/k2VSuu2
It could also be seen from Spain last night.
I saw something like this around the sun once. it was about 20 years ago on a sunny day and the ring was bigger. it really stumped me…anyone know?
My ancestors, the Shoshone, believed that meant it was going to rain soon. Seeing as it’s ice crystals in the atmosphere id say they were on to something.
I was always told that if you see a moon halo the next day will be raining.
Ice, ice, baby,
Ice, ice, baby
When I was very young, my mother explained that it meant the fairies were outside dancing in a clearing in the woods.
I grew up in the Midwest and we called it a Moondog. I know… Weird.
The general meaning of a Moondog was an indication for a few more weeks of winter weather.