It's so awsome to look at. I was just wondering what it was
2006-08-18 19:17:11 · 5 answers · asked by Virginia 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
This can happen if you are looking through very thin wispy high clouds that are so cold, they are composed of tiny ice crystals. The light from the moon is refracted (bent) by the tiny ice crystals so that you see a halo around the moon. Enjoy!
2006-08-18 19:26:52 · answer #1 · answered by Auriga 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Halos, also known as icebows, are optical phenomena that appear near or around the Sun or Moon, and sometimes near other strong light sources such as street lights. There are many types of optical halos, but they are mostly caused by ice crystals in cold cirrus clouds located high (5–10 km, or 3–6 miles) in the upper troposphere. The particular shape and orientation of the crystals is responsible for the type of halo observed. Light is reflected and refracted by the ice crystals and may split up into colors because of dispersion, similarly to the rainbow.
2006-08-19 04:04:53 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The ring around the moon is caused by the refraction of moonlight (which of course is reflected sunlight) from ice crystals in the upper atmosphere. The shape of the ice crystals results in a focusing of the light into a ring.
Since the ice crystals typically have the same shape, namely a hexagonal shape, the moon ring is almost always the same size.
2006-08-19 02:26:28 · answer #3 · answered by le_longgunr 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's moisture in the upper atmosphere reflecting the moonlight
2006-08-19 03:00:40 · answer #4 · answered by Ironball 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is from upper atmosphere water droplets reflecting the moonlight, not unlike a rainbow.
2006-08-19 02:22:17 · answer #5 · answered by gp4rts 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋