Moon Halo: A Ring Around The Moon

An article by Galvin Tan    1 Comment

It was way past midnight, while everyone else is fast asleep, I caught sight of the most magnificent view in the sky. The moon was shining bright and I could see the moon halo clearly. A Moon Halo is a ring that forms around the moon and according to myth, when there’s a ring around the moon, rain will follow soon. How true it is? Sure hope not.

The ring we see forming around the moon is merely an optical illusion caused by diffraction of light rays that create a halo around a bright object, in this case, the moon. Moon halos are caused by tiny ice crystals that have gathered twenty thousand feet above the ground, as thin, wispy clouds. These clouds are so thin, you might not notice them at night, if it weren’t for their effect on the moonlight. Incoming light rays from the moon are bent, or diffracted, by these ice crystals at an angle of 22 degrees.

The full moon was absolutely gorgeous. I took this image of the moon with a 300mm lens. You could clearly see the surface of the moon with all the craters.

When I got out of the house an hour later, I could still see the halo although it is quickly fading. Such phenomenon is quite amazing, how God’s little creation can be such a wonderful sight. I’m glad I caught sight of it.