What’s A Sun Halo?
Ever seen a ghostly ring around the Sun? Read what they're all about and why they form.
Ever seen a ghostly rainbow halo around the Sun?
A Sun halo is caused by the refraction, reflection, and dispersion of light through ice particles suspended within thin, wispy, high altitude cirrus or cirrostratus clouds. As light passes through these hexagon-shaped ice crystals, it is bent at a 22° angle, creating a circular halo around the Sun. The prism effect of light passing through these six-sided ice crystals also separates the light into its various color frequencies, making the halo look like a very pale rainbow, with red on the inside and blue on the outside.
Folklore tells us Sun halos can predict the weather:
A ring around the Sun or Moon
means rain or snow is coming soon.
Sundog?
Occasionally, brighter areas will form along these halos, creating a mock Sun, or “sundog.” Sundogs are known as parhelia (or the singular parhelion) to astronomers, from the Greek words meaning “beside the Sun.”
Have you ever seen a sun halo, mock sun, or other interesting sights? Share in the comments below!
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Farmers' Almanac Staffhttps://www.farmersalmanac.com/author/fa-admin
Never saw till today beautiful thanks for the information
This is a beautiful shot! Thank you for sharing it!
I have seen sun dogs for many yrs..I once saw 2 reflections making 3 suns..I was traveling east to westerly direction at time..late afternoon..I was blinded
I didn’t catch the sundog until I looked at the photo , first one I have ever seen . Dec . 21st at 3::00 in Bolivar , Ohio
Yes possibly.Is this a sun halo?
Wow sure looks like one! Thanks for sharing!
I have seen one twice this week
IveI’seen quite a few SUN DOGS in my lifetime. Such a cool sight to see.
I capture today Dec. 5 10:30am @ Manitoba CA
This is a great shot! Thank you for sharing!
November 5th 9:15 am when I observed it, Parkersburg, WV
Thursday, September 29, 2022 at 5:59 PM in Wisconsin!
I captured this picture this past Wednesday at 2:30 pm est time in New Hampshire!
It means your God chosen here on this life and you’re to shine brighter
I took this in my backyard a few days ago
Location Venice,
Oh, thanks for sharing! So awesome.
I live in Port Charlotte Florida and can see a gorilla halo around the sun. It looks like all the pictures on the internet. Today Memorial Day
In North Port…I saw it too too
Nice shot Seth!!
Saw it from Punta Gorda!!
What a great picture Cheryl.
This is a great photo
April 22, 2022
Delta, BC
Wow so beautiful
May 27, 2022 Surrey BC
Orosi,California
12:38 pm
J.A
Great shot Jennifer. Thank you for sharing.
05/27/22 Charles Town, WV
Beautiful picture Jenna!
2:30pm Charles Town, WV
05/27/22
Orosi,California @12:42
J.A.J
Yesterday 05/22/22
sun halo, long weekend Victoria BC
Same one but a bit later
Caught my first one today! In Spain, Vacarisses.
Saw this yesterday
10:45 am ring around the sun in Santa Paula California 5/9/2022
Sun halo
Ring around the sun in Bayahibe Dominican Republic on 4/23/22 2:30 pm
Kansas City MO, 4/10.
Sun Halo seen in Eastern Part of Ethiopia Today
Saw sun halo in Worcester, Massachusetts on 4/5/22
I captured a halo picture in Columbia.
Rainbow around the sun, March 13, 2022 12:52 p m
Rainbow around the sun, march 13, 2022 12:52 p m
Have seen one today ring around (halo) the sun. Nakuru Kenya
Saw one yesterday (Feb 15, 2022) in Indian Rocks Beach FL
Saw one a couple weeks ago in Charlotte North Carolina! Saw the halo and the sun dog. Amazing!!
Sundog
I seen 2 in the last 5 days
Amazing
Had to pull over for this Amazing Work of Art!!
Saw a sundog this morning with my mom in South Dakota. Very cool!?✨?❤️
Saw a rainbow around the sun on 12/29/21 in San Marcos Tx. So cool !! It didnt look like other photos I’ve seen of sun halos.
Beautiful!
My husband and I was traveling to Phoenix Arizonia and stopped at a rest area. While being attracted to the rock mountain and decried to take a photo I look up at the sun and Wow what an AMAZING SCENE THAT TOOK MY BREATH AWAY!! The sun was surrounded with a ring around it! After reading upon it I learned it ws a HALO RING!!! It was such AN AMAZING SIGHT!!
My Son and I were driving from Montgomery Al. To home in Fort Walton beach FL. Saturday 12/27/2021 and seen beautiful colors our from the sun and what appeared as a circle around the entire sun. We kept driving till we could get a few clear pictures and realized a circle around the sun and on the left and right side of the sun in the line of the circle it’s self were two light rainbow colored places that looked they were marking the half point of the circle.
It was beautiful to see! I was amazed and could not stop looking at it. The sun was blinding but the event it’s self was worth the tempperary discomfort to my eyes!
Pamela.
Sun Halo amd Dogs
Manchester, CT
Palmer Lake, CO 11/14/21
Dawsonville GA
I saw this today in New Hampshire.
Saw one today in Massachusetts.
Saw one today in Eastport Maine! Very exciting, all my grandkids saw it too.