We were all super excited to be able to witness the unusual halo around the sun yesterday! This beautiful, rainbow ring could not have come at a better time, as we are in the middle of studying our Solar System! You can imagine our excitement as we were all able to go outside and sky gaze for a while. During the Grade 4 computer class, I was also able to run home and get my solar shades which enabled us to look safely and directly at the sun (although using these lessened the visibility of the rainbow ring).
Now…here is the scientific explanation behind yesterday’s phenomenon:
A ring or circle of light around the sun or moon is called a halo by scientists. Halos are a sign of high thin cirrus clouds drifting 20,000 feet or more above our heads. These clouds contain millions of tiny ice crystals. The halos you see are caused by both refraction, or splitting of light, and also by reflection, or glints of light from these ice crystals. The crystals have to be oriented and positioned just so with respect to your eye, in order for the halo to appear.
Atmospheric phenomena such as halos were used as part of weather lore as an empirical means of weather forecasting before meteorology was developed. They often do mean that rain is going to fall within the next 24 hours as the Ciro-stratus clouds that cause them can signify an approaching frontal system.
http://earthsky.org/space/what-makes-a-halo-around-the-moon
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halo_%28optical_phenomenon%29
Here are a few pictures that I was able to capture outside to bask in God’s glory! (Yes, I am still bouncing around with excitement! :))
