{"id":801204,"date":"2026-03-18T04:24:29","date_gmt":"2026-03-18T09:24:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/?p=801204"},"modified":"2026-03-18T04:24:29","modified_gmt":"2026-03-18T09:24:29","slug":"what-makes-a-halo-around-the-sun-or-moon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/?p=801204","title":{"rendered":"What makes a halo around the sun or moon?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"What Makes a Halo?\" width=\"1110\" height=\"624\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/18NkJFXd7ck?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><br \/>We tell you all you need to know about halos in our YouTube video here. Don\u2019t forget to subscribe!<\/p>\n<h3>What causes halos?<\/h3>\n<p>Have you ever looked up and spotted a large ring of light around the sun or moon? Scientists refer to these as <em>22-degree halos<\/em>. They got that name because the radius of the circle is always approximately 22 degrees. <\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s an old weather saying: <em>ring around the moon means rain soon.<\/em> There\u2019s truth to this saying, because high cirrus clouds often come before a storm. Notice in these photos that the sky looks fairly clear. After all, you can see the sun or moon. And yet halos are a sign of high, thin cirrus clouds drifting 20,000 feet (6 km) or more above our heads. <\/p>\n<p>These clouds contain millions of tiny ice crystals. The halos you see are caused by both <em>refraction<\/em>, or splitting of light, and also by <em>reflection<\/em>, or glints of light from these ice crystals. The crystals must be oriented and positioned just so with respect to your eye, for the halo to appear.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s why, like rainbows, halos around the sun \u2013 or moon \u2013 are <em>personal<\/em>. Everyone sees their own unique halo, made by the ice crystals from their point of view. So they are different from the ice crystals making the halo of a person standing next to you.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_539352\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-539352\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-539352\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Roberto Ortu captured this moon halo on February 2, 2026, in Italy and wrote: \u201cA moon halo has an apparent radius of 22 degrees and forms around the moon due to refraction by hexagonal-shaped ice crystals that are present in Earth\u2019s atmosphere.\u201d Thank you, Roberto! Notice that \u2013 unlike solar halos, which can be colorful \u2013 lunar halos are mostly colorless.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3>A word of caution for photographers<\/h3>\n<p>Take care when photographing solar halos. Pointing a camera directly at the unobscured sun can damage it. <em>Never<\/em> look directly at the sun, even when it is less bright through clouds or fog.<\/p>\n<h3>Are halos more common at high latitudes?<\/h3>\n<p>We asked Les Cowley of the website Atmospheric Optics if halos around the sun and moon are more frequently seen at high latitudes and less commonly seen closer to the equator. He said:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>That\u2019s a good question that is not easy to answer accurately because no halo frequency statistics are collected except in one or two mid-latitude European countries.<\/p>\n<p>We need to distinguish between (a) halos formed by low level diamond dust during very cold weather and (b) halos formed by ice crystals in high cirrus cloud.<\/p>\n<p>Obviously (a) halos only occur in polar regions or countries with very cold winters (Canada for example is not high latitude).<\/p>\n<p>(b) Halos can occur anywhere on the planet during winter or summer. Their frequency depends on the frequency of cirrus coverage and whether it has had a history such that it contains halo forming crystals. The latter is hard to predict. For example, there are major differences in halo frequencies and types of halos across even 200 miles [300 km] in the U.K. <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<figure id=\"attachment_439255\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-439255\" style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/earthsky.org\/upl\/2023\/05\/halo-forming-ice-crystals-walter-tate.jpg.png\" alt=\"Ice crystals, short hexagonal bars and flat hexagons on a gray blackground mostly about .2 mm.\" width=\"650\" height=\"485\" class=\"size-full wp-image-439255\" srcset=\"https:\/\/earthsky.org\/upl\/2023\/05\/halo-forming-ice-crystals-walter-tate.jpg.png 650w, https:\/\/earthsky.org\/upl\/2023\/05\/halo-forming-ice-crystals-walter-tate.jpg-300x224.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\"\/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-439255\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Halos are made by both refraction and reflection ice crystals, such as these, in this photo by Walt Tate. Image via Walt Tate\/ Atmospheric Optics. Used with permission.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3>If you see a halo, notice this!<\/h3>\n<p>Because moonlight isn\u2019t very bright, lunar halos are mostly colorless. However, you might notice red on the inside and blue on the outside of the halo. These colors are more noticeable in halos around the sun. If you do see a halo around the moon or sun, notice that the inner edge is sharp, while the outer edge is more diffuse. Also, notice that the sky surrounding the halo is darker than the rest of the sky.<\/p>\n<h3>Halo photos from EarthSky\u2019s Community<\/h3>\n<figure id=\"attachment_539353\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-539353\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/earthsky.org\/upl\/2026\/03\/LUNAR-HALO-Samit-Saha-India-January-30-2026.jpg\" alt=\"Large ring of light around the moon on a dark blue sky with some stars showing around it.\" width=\"800\" height=\"532\" class=\"size-full wp-image-539353\" srcset=\"https:\/\/earthsky.org\/upl\/2026\/03\/LUNAR-HALO-Samit-Saha-India-January-30-2026.jpg 800w, https:\/\/earthsky.org\/upl\/2026\/03\/LUNAR-HALO-Samit-Saha-India-January-30-2026-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/earthsky.org\/upl\/2026\/03\/LUNAR-HALO-Samit-Saha-India-January-30-2026-768x511.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\"\/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-539353\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Samit Saha captured this image on January 30, 2026, and wrote: \u201cA bright lunar halo surrounds the moon on a bone-chilling winter night in India. The circular ring formed as moonlight passed through countless hexagonal ice crystals suspended in high, thin cirrostratus clouds, creating the classic 22-degree halo. Snow-covered hills beneath the sky emphasize the clarity and depth of the winter atmosphere. The wide-field view reveals several familiar constellations \u2013 Orion, Taurus, Gemini, and the Pleiades \u2013 along with the bright planet Jupiter, all sharing the frame with the glowing halo. Such halos often signal approaching weather changes, yet for a brief moment, the sky offered a rare balance of atmospheric optics and celestial geometry, captured in a single exposure.\u201d Thank you, Samit!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_539354\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-539354\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/earthsky.org\/upl\/2026\/03\/Halo-and-sun-dogs-Bonnie-Swan-Wisconsin-January-21-2026.jpeg\" alt=\"Halo around the sun on the horizon, and bright spots to each side, behind a snow-covered field.\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" class=\"size-full wp-image-539354\" srcset=\"https:\/\/earthsky.org\/upl\/2026\/03\/Halo-and-sun-dogs-Bonnie-Swan-Wisconsin-January-21-2026.jpeg 800w, https:\/\/earthsky.org\/upl\/2026\/03\/Halo-and-sun-dogs-Bonnie-Swan-Wisconsin-January-21-2026-300x225.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/earthsky.org\/upl\/2026\/03\/Halo-and-sun-dogs-Bonnie-Swan-Wisconsin-January-21-2026-768x576.jpeg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\"\/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-539354\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Bonnie Swan captured this image in Wisconsin on January 21, 2026, and wrote: \u201cWhile driving east early in the morning, the halo and sun dogs around the rising sun continued to be very bright, when I found a vantage point to get the whole image, I had to pull over to capture it!\u201d Thank you, Bonnie!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_539356\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-539356\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/earthsky.org\/upl\/2026\/03\/Sun-halo-Dario-Giannobile-Manhattan-December-12-2025.jpg\" alt=\"A large ring of light around the sun with birds flying by and the Statue of Liberty in the distance.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" class=\"size-full wp-image-539356\" srcset=\"https:\/\/earthsky.org\/upl\/2026\/03\/Sun-halo-Dario-Giannobile-Manhattan-December-12-2025.jpg 800w, https:\/\/earthsky.org\/upl\/2026\/03\/Sun-halo-Dario-Giannobile-Manhattan-December-12-2025-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/earthsky.org\/upl\/2026\/03\/Sun-halo-Dario-Giannobile-Manhattan-December-12-2025-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\"\/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-539356\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Dario Giannobile captured this in Manhattan on December 12, 2025, and wrote: \u201cIn a handheld shot of the Statue of Liberty taken from the ferry connecting Ellis Island to Manhattan, with seagulls crossing the sky, a series of rare optical phenomena framed the Statue\u2019s crown. These are complex interactions of light with small ice crystals suspended in the air. This rare atmospheric condition created an extraordinary scene: a perfect solar halo, accompanied by parhelia (so-called \u201cfalse suns\u201d), a parhelic arc and a superior tangent arc.\u201d Thank you, Dario!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3>More halo photos from our friends<\/h3>\n<figure id=\"attachment_439257\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-439257\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/earthsky.org\/upl\/2023\/05\/Circular-sun-halo-Vincenzo-Mirabella.jpg\" alt=\"Sun in a blue sky with a ring of light around it, and an outstretched finger blocking the sun itself\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" class=\"size-full wp-image-439257\" srcset=\"https:\/\/earthsky.org\/upl\/2023\/05\/Circular-sun-halo-Vincenzo-Mirabella.jpg 800w, https:\/\/earthsky.org\/upl\/2023\/05\/Circular-sun-halo-Vincenzo-Mirabella-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/earthsky.org\/upl\/2023\/05\/Circular-sun-halo-Vincenzo-Mirabella-768x576.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\"\/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-439257\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Everyone sees his or her own halo. That\u2019s because \u2013 for every individual \u2013 a solar or lunar halo is made of light reflecting and refracting from <em>different<\/em> ice crystals in high, thin cirrus clouds. Image via Vincenzo Mirabella\/ NASA. Used with permission.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_539360\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-539360\" style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/earthsky.org\/upl\/2026\/03\/Solar-halo-Amrinderjit-Singh-India-December-12-2025.jpg\" alt=\"A tree with rocks arranged in a circle around it, blocking the sun but its large halo showing.\" width=\"650\" height=\"813\" class=\"size-full wp-image-539360\" srcset=\"https:\/\/earthsky.org\/upl\/2026\/03\/Solar-halo-Amrinderjit-Singh-India-December-12-2025.jpg 650w, https:\/\/earthsky.org\/upl\/2026\/03\/Solar-halo-Amrinderjit-Singh-India-December-12-2025-240x300.jpg 240w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\"\/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-539360\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Amrinderjit Singh captured this photo from India on December 12, 2025, and wrote: \u201cAt 2200 meters high in the mountains, the sky offered its beauty by displaying a halo around the sun and I was right there to capture this beautiful landscape.\u201d Thank you, Amrinderjit!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_539365\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-539365\" style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/earthsky.org\/upl\/2026\/03\/Lunar-halo-Teresa-Raines-Arizona-January-4-2026.jpg\" alt=\"Lunar halo against a dark blue sky with some stars and Jupiter showing, above 3 tall palm trees. width=\" height=\"812\" class=\"size-full wp-image-539365\" srcset=\"https:\/\/earthsky.org\/upl\/2026\/03\/Lunar-halo-Teresa-Raines-Arizona-January-4-2026.jpg 650w, https:\/\/earthsky.org\/upl\/2026\/03\/Lunar-halo-Teresa-Raines-Arizona-January-4-2026-240x300.jpg 240w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\"\/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-539365\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Teresa Raines captured this image from Arizona on January 4, 2026, and wrote: \u201cLunar halo, with Orion in the bottom right corner, Jupiter next to moon peeking through top palm tree frond.\u201d Thank you, Teresa!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_httpsearthskyorgwp-adminuploadphp287377\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-httpsearthskyorgwp-adminuploadphp287377\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/earthsky.org\/upl\/2018\/05\/halo-lunar-emerges-5-5-2018-Eliot-Herman-Tucson-AZ-e1527929256598.jpg\" alt=\"3 fish-eye images of the whole sky with clouds and halo around the moon.\" width=\"800\" height=\"261\" class=\"size-full wp-image-287377\"\/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-httpsearthskyorgwp-adminuploadphp287377\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Eliot Herman wrote on May 5, 2018: \u201cThis shows the change that occurred over 7 minutes as a lunar halo emerged. It then persisted for about 40 minutes and disappeared with increasing clouds. Although it appears the halo is forming from an odd shape, what is actually illuminated is the edge of the clouds just before the halo formed as the clouds drifted in front of the moon. But it does have a nice illusion of an odd-shaped halo then becoming round.\u201d Used with permission.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Thank you to all who submit images to EarthSky Community Photos! View community photos here. We love you all. Submit your photos here. <\/p>\n<p>Bottom line: High, thin cirrus clouds drifting high above your head create the halos you see around the sun or moon. The halos are from tiny ice crystals in Earth\u2019s atmosphere. They do it by refracting and reflecting the light. Lunar halos are signs that storms are nearby.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"cp-load-after-post\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"post-author\">\n<h4>Editors of EarthSky<\/h4>\n<p>                    View Articles\n                  <\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"post-tags\">\n<h6 data-udy-fe=\"text_7c58270d\">About the Author:<\/h6>\n<p>The EarthSky team has a blast bringing you daily updates on your cosmos and world.  We love your photos and welcome your news tips.  Earth, Space, Sun, Human, Tonight. Since 1994.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/earthsky.org\/space\/what-makes-a-halo-around-the-moon\/?rand=772280\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We tell you all you need to know about halos in our YouTube video here. Don\u2019t forget to subscribe! What causes halos? Have you ever looked up and spotted a&hellip; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":801205,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[46],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-801204","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-earth-sky"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/801204","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=801204"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/801204\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/801205"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=801204"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=801204"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=801204"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}