Sometimes we can see a brightly shining circle around the Sun, the Moon, or even an artificial light source (for example, a lantern). This natural phenomenon is called “halo”. It appears because of the refraction of light in ice crystals in the upper atmosphere at an altitude of 5-10 km.

The halo can take many forms and appear not only as a circle, but also as a column of light or bright spots on either side of the sun. The type of this phenomenon depends on the shape and location of the ice crystals. Sometimes the halo is even multi-colored and reminds a rainbow.

Have you ever seen this interesting atmospheric phenomenon?

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