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Thursday, 19 April 2012

SkyWatch Friday - Moon Halo

For better or worse I dragged myself into work today – time and deadlines wait for no man!
Another Kangaroo Island shot – maybe I should get some form of commission from their Tourist Board!
This is a Moon Halo.  It’s caused by light being refracted through six-sided crystals of ice floating in the upper atmosphere.  Because the ice crystals are the same size and shape you end up with a regular pattern being perceived – in this case a circle.
I think of it as the same way as I think about rainbows – a splendid thing to see and no less splendid for knowing how its formed.  Unweaving a rainbow – or in this case, unpacking a halo -  never reduces its beauty.
You can find more sky shots from around the world at SkyWatch Friday.
Enjoy the Skies.
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13 comments:

  1. Anonymous19 April 2012 at 19:24

    Wow - I've never seen this before. Great shot!

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  2. TexWisGirl19 April 2012 at 23:41

    nice job getting it on camera! i've tried and couldn't get it right. :)

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  3. Sylvia K20 April 2012 at 01:03

    We see these halos on rare occasions here in the northwest and it is an awesome sight! Haven't ever been able to get a good shot though! Yours are terrific, Stewart!

    Sylvia

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  4. eileeninmd20 April 2012 at 07:12

    Cool sighting of the halo and the moon. Thanks for sharing, happy skywatching. Have a great weekend, Stewart.

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  5. Unknown20 April 2012 at 07:30

    Great shot and good explanation!! Boom & Gary of the Vermilon River, Canada.

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  6. Vores have20 April 2012 at 16:22

    Beautiful picture you show.
    Wishing you a good weekend.
    Hugs Hanne Bente / hbt.finus.dk

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  7. Serline20 April 2012 at 19:34

    Terrific capture!

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  8. Chubskulit Rose20 April 2012 at 22:56

    Nice shot!

    My Sky shot, have a great weekend!

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  9. Liz20 April 2012 at 23:49

    Oh I love this... my Skywatch is the moon too :)

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  10. Anonymous21 April 2012 at 02:08

    Its a new info for me, with a nice example shot!

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  11. Sallie (FullTime-Life)21 April 2012 at 08:10

    I once worked (as a secretary) for a geologist who said he wished he could go back to childhood and just admire rocks because they were beautiful, without analyzing their makeup. (Maybe he was in the wrong profession.) Your moon halo is beautiful, whether you are as ignorant as I am (or at ealst was before your explanation) or as smart as you are!

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  12. Carole M.21 April 2012 at 14:53

    how interesting Stewart; I'd never heard of these before. Thanks for the info' and photograph too; well done.

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  13. Anonymous21 April 2012 at 23:34

    Great shot of the halo!

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