A phenomenon appeared in the sky in November 2023, captivating this country. A ghostly, ethereal ring surrounded the moon, and people were talking about it. What caused this “lunar halo”? Did it really mean bad weather was coming?
What is the lunar halo?
A lunar halo appears as a glowing ring around the moon. Usually circular or oval in shape, they add a somewhat magical glow to the night sky. And if your photo is of value, it would be a great subject for lunar photography.
“A lunar halo is a ring of light that appears around the moon, with the inner edge appearing red,” he explains. Dr. Darren Baskillan astrophysicist at the University of Sussex.
How does the moon’s halo form?
Simply put, the moon’s halo is caused by ice crystals in the upper atmosphere.
“When moonlight passes through randomly oriented hexagonal ice crystals, the light is reflected at least 22 degrees, forming a 22-degree radius ring of light in the sky,” Baskill says.
This is why halo is also called “.”22 degree haloAnd it can appear around the moon or the sun.
“Halos can form in any climate, all year round, because it is always cold enough at high altitudes for ice crystals to form. Halos can form in any climate, all year round. “All it takes is water to crystallize, which reflects the moon’s light and creates a halo,” Baskill explains.
What is the difference between a lunar corona and a lunar halo?
The lunar corona and lunar halo are both optical phenomena related to the interaction of moonlight and atmospheric elements, but as Baskill explains, they have distinct characteristics.
“The moon’s corona was also observed over the UK last month. It appears much smaller than the halo, and only water droplets, not ice crystals, are needed to create the corona’s iridescent glow.”
“White moonlight is composed of all the colors of the rainbow, and when that moonlight passes through water, it bends and diffracts into its constituent colors, forming a ring of color around the moon.”
“The word corona means ‘crown,’ and scientists believe that whether it’s the crown around the moon (lunar corona) or the crown around a virus at the microscopic level (coronavirus), “I often use this word to describe something that exists,” he says.
Lunar corona:
- The lunar corona is a glow with colorful rings surrounding the moon.
- This occurs when the moon’s light interacts with water droplets or tiny ice crystals in Earth’s atmosphere.
- The coronas vary in size and are usually more vivid in color, from blue at the inner edge to red at the outer edge.
- Coronas are often smaller and more complexly colored than halos.
Moon halo:
- A lunar halo is a bright ring of light surrounding the moon.
- This is caused by the refraction and reflection of moonlight through ice crystals higher up in the atmosphere.
- The lunar halo is typically larger and less colored than the lunar corona. They usually appear as a whitish or pale ring around the moon.
- The ring’s brightness is uniform, and there are no distinct colors found in the corona.
Moon halo in meteorology
Although a lunar halo itself is not a direct indication of impending rain, it is primarily caused by the presence of high-altitude ice crystals in the atmosphere, and is therefore often associated with certain types of clouds.
The types of clouds that typically produce the moon’s halo, such as cirrus clouds, may be associated with changes in weather. Cirrus clouds are thin, wispy clouds found at high altitudes that can form prior to the arrival of a warm front. Warm fronts are associated with the approach of moist air and can cause a variety of weather conditions, including rain.
Therefore, the visibility of the moon’s halo does not directly mean that it will rain, but it may be an indirect signal that there are high clouds in the atmosphere and that the weather conditions may change. There is a gender. To predict rain, it’s essential to take into account other weather indicators and forecasts, such as dark clouds, a drop in air pressure, a sudden drop in temperature, or even your trusty moggy not wanting to go outside.
About our expert Dr. Darren Baskill:
Dr. Darren Baskill I am an outreach officer and lecturer in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Sussex. He previously lectured at the Royal Observatory Greenwich and was the organizer of the annual Astronomical Photographer of the Year competition.
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Source: www.sciencefocus.com
