anyone else see the ring around the moon?
what exactly is it?
and if you dont see it, the moon is amazingly bright and then theres just a big gap, then a bright ring around it.
2007-11-23 17:52:45 · 3 answers · asked by kb 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
ice crystals in the sky are making something similar to a rainbow
http://home.hiwaay.net/~krcool/Astro/moon/moonring/
2007-11-23 17:56:47 · answer #1 · answered by Mercury 2010 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
There are cirrus type clouds present highly in the sky which contains water crystals.
In this winter season, they are highly present.
when sun or moon rises,
Its light passes through long blanket of air, so, it passes through those crystals.
Then differaction of light takes place and the colours get differentiated.
The same thing which happens in rain with sunlight to form rainbow.
Only it seems full and we consider it as a ring.
It has all those properties of rainbow.
Try to see the rings carefully, you will find red to blue colours from it..
2007-11-24 02:31:50 · answer #2 · answered by Vipul C 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Personally, I think it is a gravitational lens effect caused by the intervening dark matter.
(That was for Mercury.
No, seriously, though, they are both right.
2007-11-24 03:28:52 · answer #3 · answered by Brant 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋