It was freaking awesome. But what was it or why did this occur?
2007-01-02 17:37:33 · 7 answers · asked by huru_mkodi 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
It is called a halo, it is when light from the moon is refracted by ice crystals high in the atmosphere. I believe there is an angle associated with it, 22 degrees if my memory serves me.
There are also coronas, which are similar but smaller and brighter, which are caused by diffraction from large water droplets or some ice crystals.
But yes, it is a halo and it is beautiful. Coronas around the moon are much more common.
2007-01-02 17:41:38 · answer #1 · answered by W 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I saw the same thing tonight on 1-2-07 I am from Illinois and it was around 11. I was told it was a moon halo, 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.
Less typical are the halos that may be produced by different angles in the crystals. They can create halos with an angle of 46 degrees.
Folklore has it that a ring around the moon signifies bad weather is coming, and in many cases this may be true. So how can rings around the moon be a predictor of weather to come? The ice crystals that cover the halo signify high altitude, thin cirrus clouds that normally precede a warm front by one or two days. Typically, a warm front will be associated with a low pressure system which is commonly referred to as a storm.
It is believed that the number of stars within a moon halo indicate the number days before bad weather will arrive.
2007-01-03 02:06:16 · answer #2 · answered by Rae 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋
LOL I just asked a question about this too. I guess it's a moon halo. It's like ice crystals and we're going to get precipitation. It's really neat looking!
2007-01-03 01:54:10 · answer #3 · answered by Kim 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It was a either a drunken stupor, cataracts forming in your eyes, or the moon's gravity dimishing;;releasing all the dust.
2007-01-03 01:46:31 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Rae plagerised her answer, it makes me sick when people take advantage of others hard work and writing, and pass it as their own.
http://home.hiwaay.net/~krcool/Astro/moon/moonring/
She could have atleast sourced it, filthy liars.
2007-01-03 02:25:17 · answer #5 · answered by William B 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
its normal...seen it millions of times..usually means snow
2007-01-03 01:41:36 · answer #6 · answered by free-spirit 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Where *is* this?
2007-01-03 01:51:53 · answer #7 · answered by anonymous 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋