What’s this circle of clouds I see forming perfectly around the moon?
https://i.redd.it/0jm347op9zoe1.jpeg
What’s this circle of clouds I see forming perfectly around the moon?
https://i.redd.it/0jm347op9zoe1.jpeg
26 Comments
[22° halo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/22%C2%B0_halo)
It’s called a lunar halo. It’s an optical illusion caused by light refracting through clouds at a higher altitude.
That’s a [Moon halo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halo_(optical_phenomenon)). It’s caused by ice crystals up in the sky and can form around any bright object in the sky.
[removed]
Astigmatism.
*just a late night, three-beers-in joke ;)*
expect rain. my pop would say whenever he sees such halo
I swear I saw this photo last week in a post asking the same thing…
Moon dog! Pretty neat. Moon dogs are the nighttime equivalent of “sun dogs,” which are bright spots seen on either side of the sun during the day.
When I was a kid, and a dumbass, I used to think that this was a giant meteor behind the sun or moon that was going to kill us all. Crazy that it’s just the light and atmosphere making the effect.
Refraction…. we learned this over 100 years ago.
However, it still is mysterious to the majority of the population.
[Hexagons are bestagons](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/22%C2%B0_halo)
I am genuinely surprised at how many people this is new to.
We called these “moon rings” growing up; legend says it means you’ll get snow in the next day or so. I don’t know how much I trust that, but considering it’s caused by light refracting off moisture in the air, I guess it could theoretically be used as an indicator of incoming weather?
I remember my first moon halo too. Hurricane Rita.
According to the “old wives tale”, count the number of stars visible inside the ring, and that’s supposed to be how many days before some bad weather arrives. Rain or snow, I forget which. Maybe either, according to the season.
Guessing it’s real cold where you are isn’t it
I saw this on a trip in the Philippines. It was beautiful
I grew up knowing them as moondogs. No idea where that came from.
On certain nights
When the angles are right
And the moon is a slender crescent
It’s circle shows
In a ghostly glow
Of earthly luminescence
Earthshine
A beacon in the night
I can raise my eyes to earthshine
This tells about it: [https://earthsky.org/space/what-makes-a-halo-around-the-moon/](https://earthsky.org/space/what-makes-a-halo-around-the-moon/)
Your camera lens. Reflection. Did I make 25 characters yet.
Cirrostratus Nebulosus.
Google that and then look at the images.
It’s not a cloud, mate. It’s called a halo that forms around it.
Sometimes I think the holy cross was made from images man saw like this, before there was any light pollution
Crazy that the answer didn’t change from the last 7 times asked this week.
I know it’s not, but it kinda got an Einstein Ring effect.