- LOCAL SEEN -
Santa's Eye View Last Friday (on his way home after a long night at work!)
The Huddle
Shanley Rd and Post Street
(Clinton and College Hill in distance to NW)
Madison Wind Farm
Solsville and Munnsville Wind Farm in distance
Oriskany Falls
The Quarry
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Christmas Full Moon, 11pm
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| Photo: jmr |
About the lunar halo (from the Farmers' Almanac 2016)
A lunar 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 degree angle, creating a halo 22 degrees in radius (or 44 degrees in diameter). A double halo, sometimes with spokes, may be seen on rare occasions when light reflects off water or ice.
The prism effect of light passing through these six-sided ice crystals separates the light into its various colors, resulting in a halo tinged with very pale rainbow colors with red on the inside and blue on the outside. The phenomenon of a lunar halo is similar to a rainbow produced by sunlight and rain falling between your eye and the sun.
Weather lore says a lunar halo is the precursor of impending unsettled weather, especially during the winter months. This is often proved true, as cirrus and cirrostratus clouds generally precede rain and storm systems.
Lunar halos are, in fact, actually fairly common. So watch the night sky — and keep the umbrella handy.