What is the circle around the sun called? Signs and superstitions. Observation and classification of different types of halos

April 25, 2013. Lunar Elliptical Halo: The full moon is approaching, which means an icy halo around the moon will be visible. April 22 Darrell Luscomble from the Soynchula settlement, British Columbia(Canada) saw an unusual halo. It was not round, as usual, but elliptical:

“I don’t think I’ve seen an elliptical halo around the Moon before,” Luscomble says. “I looked up and just stared for about a minute. Then he ran home to get his camera. I managed to take a picture of it before it disappeared."

Les Cowley, an expert on atmospheric peaking, commented on the phenomenon: “Several more elliptical halos have been seen over the past few weeks in Europe and the US. Something strange is happening in our skies!

Reference:

The minor halo is a rainbow circle around the Sun, with an angular radius of about 22 degrees. The ring is closed (ideally, but often only fragments are observed). Inner edge quite sharply limited, colored red. It is followed by yellow, not bright, turning into white. The sky inside the small halo often appears darker than outside it.

Types of halo:

9° halo (van Buijsen’s halo)
18° halo (Rankin's halo)
20° halo (Burney’s halo)
23° halo (Barkow’s halo)
24° halo (Dutheil's halo)
35° halo (Feuillée’s halo)

Elliptical lunar halo

The image is clickable.

Guillaume Poulin took what may be the best shot [photo left] of an elliptical halo in national park Mont-Mégantic, Quebec, Canada. He took pictures of stars at a temperature of −15°C.

“On the way home, we noticed that the foggy haze in the air began to turn into tiny crystals that fell like snowflakes, and at the same time a halo began to form around the Moon. A few minutes later another halo appeared, twice the size of the first.”

The moon, which has risen to 38°, has just passed its first quarter. I had to overexpose to catch the halo, but the shape of the circles is quite visible.

Elliptical halos are rare, fleeting and mysterious. Perhaps they are related to even rarer

Elliptical halos are small and may have two or three oval rings. In most cases they are observed in altocumulus clouds, but crystals can also be a source ice fog. The rings can vary in angular size and appear to depend on solar or lunar altitude. The lack of reliable observations and crystal samples significantly complicates the analysis.

Guillaume took some great photos. Three rings are visible in detail. The inner ring is possibly bluish and there is definitely a reddish tint inside the second ring - these indicate that light refraction played some role in the formation of this phenomenon. Another clue is the different brightnesses along the rings and how they are offset in relation to the Moon.

We are lucky that some of the images show faint, but clearly identifiable stars, which allow us to determine the size of the rings quite accurately. Angular size second ring 5.6°.

Do we understand how they are formed? elliptical halo? Their small size may be evidence of the refraction of light in crystals that are only slightly tilted relative to each other. This is a stark contrast to the 60° that causes common .

Perhaps the rings appear due to flat pyramidal crystals. Presumably, the crystals float almost horizontally, just like regular hexagonal plates. The same crystals were used to model Bottlinger rings, although the formation of the latter could occur in other ways.

On the left is the ray path model created by HaloSim to match ring sizes and intensity changes. For modeling, crystals were used whose upper and lower faces deviated by 3.5° from the horizontal. This corresponds to approximately (1, 0, −1.35), which is absurd from a crystallographic point of view. The faces usually follow the planes of atoms and ions within the crystal lattice and give the Miller index, expressed as simple integers. One exception is made for snowflake-like crystals with a tree-like organization of ice shoots.

Simple crystals create a halo correct size. There are three different paths for the rays to pass through the faces of the crystal, which form three rings similar to those observed.

The similarity is reassuring and quite suitable - but not as good as in other halo simulations. It's tempting to think that a few repeated simulations—changing the angle of the top and bottom edges separately, placing flat tops on top or bottom, and deviating from horizontal—will help the proof. It's a challenge. We have a theory that requires atypical crystals, and assumptions that are not entirely correct.

And try it yourself!

Translation: Anastasia Antoshkina

The sky is an amazing thing, constantly changing and diverse. But how often do we turn our attention to the sky? Usually people do not notice and are not interested in what is happening in the sky. And only when strange phenomena occur in it, attention to it increases and they begin to say that the sky is giving people signs. One of these unusual natural phenomena is considered halo- light arcs or circles around the sun or moon. But where do they come from and why do they disappear as suddenly as they appear? Let's look into this issue together.

So the word " halo" comes from the Greek word " galos", which means "circle" or "disk". The closest natural phenomenon to a halo, which is familiar to us, is a rainbow, that is, the refraction of the rays of a celestial body. But unlike a rainbow, which can only be observed in daytime, standing with your back to the sun, in air saturated with moisture, a halo appears in the sky at any time of the day - around the sun or moon (and sometimes near a powerful source of artificial light).

Nature halo phenomena in the sky (5-10 km above the earth, in the upper layers of the troposphere) - refraction and decomposition into a spectrum of light rays ( dispersion) in the smallest ice crystals, as well as their reflection from the side faces or bases of these crystals, which have the shape of hexagonal columns or plates. Crystals can be different sizes and have different nature of its origin in the atmosphere, but at the same time obey the uniform laws of physics - gradually fall, rotating with the same for all angular velocity, hover motionlessly or sway harmoniously.

Arcs or circles forming a halo appear at a certain distance from the luminary, equidistant from the light source. Sometimes, in addition to a circle or its segments (arcs), a second one appears, located further than the first, but always at the same distance from the luminary. On these arcs and circles there may be bright spots of light - false suns or false moons. There are several of them, but they all always stand at the same height above the horizon as the star itself, and sometimes even opposite it, on the other side of the sky.

Refraction of light in the sky

If you rely on statistics of observations of the halo phenomenon in the sky, we can conclude that the appearance of a halo is characteristic of cirrostratus clouds, in which sunlight is refracted, reflected and scattered in a complex way in small crystals - hexagonal ice prisms, pyramids, columns or plates. Thanks to the optical properties of these crystals, which have a more regular structure than water droplets, the halo looks much more picturesque than halos and crowns. Cirrostratus clouds often herald the approach of atmospheric front, therefore, by the appearance of a halo, worsening weather can be predicted.

When the sun's rays pass through cirrostratus clouds, which consist of glacial crystals, light oblique crosses, arcs, additional (false) suns, luminous pillars from the horizon to the luminary and other pictures resembling certain objects may appear in the sky. Such phenomena were called “halos” in Russian chronicles, and now they are called solar halo.

Previously in humans the appearance of a halo in the sky caused fear and panic - they seemed like bloody swords and were interpreted as harbingers of great trouble - the start of war, famine, epidemic, etc.

On the other hand, changes in the weather, on the eve of which halos often appear in the sky, are also an unpleasant thing, especially when we're talking about about natural disasters.

Shapes and types of halo

The shape of the halo depends on the position of the crystals relative to each other when falling in the atmosphere, when they experience atmospheric braking and take a position at which the greatest air resistance is created. however, Brownian motion and atmospheric fluctuations interfere with this, causing small crystals to be randomly distributed in the cloud, while large columnar crystals and platelets are more susceptible to atmospheric drag due to their surface area, so they fall in an oriented manner.

Halo shapes

Halos can most often be seen in the form circle painted with all the colors of the rainbow around the sun with an angular radius of 22°.
Slightly less common halo in the form of concentric circles with it a second circle with an angular radius of 22° and 46°.
And it's very rare Hevelius halo– circle 90°.
Sometimes you can watch white horizontal circle(parhelic circle), parallel to the horizon plane and passing through the sun. At the intersection of this circle with the halo circles of 22° and 46°, bright rainbow spots appear - false suns ( parhelia), as well as false moons ( parselines).
It also happens that only visible lower halves of the halo, and elliptical halo. Among these unusual shapes meet rainbows curved into reverse side . Most likely these are the lower parts of the 46° or 90° halo circles.

Types of halo

According to the shape and orientation of the crystals	Randomly oriented crystals, Horizontally oriented columnar crystals, Horizontal prisms, Flat plates, Chaotic and oriented pyramidal crystals
By color	White, Colorless, Iridescent incomplete (red, orange and white), Rainbow full (the whole spectrum of colors is visible)
By distance from the luminary	Halo of parallel rays (from the sun, moon and some bright celestial bodies), Halo of diverging rays (halo from lanterns and spotlights)
Location	Close to the star (22° halo, elliptical halos, parhelia and some others), At a medium distance (46° halo and Lowitz arcs, near-horizontal arc, 90° halo), Encompassing the entire sky (parhelic circle and Hastings arc), In the part of the sky opposite to the luminary (120° parhelia, Wegner arcs, antisun and others), Reflected (subsun, subparhelia and others)

Where and when can you see a halo

More often halo can be seen in Antarctica on its ice dome and on the slopes located at an altitude of 2700-3500 m above sea level. There they can be observed throughout the whole day, while their shape and color may change. Permanent strong winds lift clouds of loose snow with a crystalline structure into the air. The lower boundary of such snow clouds descends to the very ground, creating ideal conditions to form a halo. In the absence of snow clouds and in bright sunlight, numerous colored and white halos with a radius of 22° and 46° occur, as well as rarer other phenomena.

Air saturated with moisture tends to crystallize when cooled. When carrying large volumes of wet air masses In the upper layers of the atmosphere over the continent, moisture condensation, crystallization and frost formation occur. IN warm time years, ice crystals do not reach the surface of the earth and dissolve in the lower layers of the atmosphere, again saturating the air with moisture. Therefore, the halo phenomenon is more likely to be observed on the continental part of the continents than near the coast.

Sometimes in frosty weather a halo forms near earth's surface, and the ice crystals in the air sparkle like gems, enhancing the radiance of the halo. If the sun is low above the horizon, the lower part of the halo can sometimes be seen against the background of the surrounding landscape.

Our observations of halo in the sky

We have seen this phenomenon many times, but not every time we had a camera with us. But we especially remember two cases: when we were driving along the Dmitrovskoye Highway towards Moscow, and a spectacular solar phenomenon accompanied us almost the entire trip. And on another sunny day in Pai in Northern Thailand, we saw a very beautiful circle of light in a clear sky.

Halo in the photo

Halo in Thailand, Pai city

Halos usually appear around the Sun or Moon, sometimes around other powerful light sources such as street lights. There are many types of halos, but they are caused primarily by ice crystals in cirrus clouds at altitudes of 5-10 km in the upper troposphere. The type of observed halo depends on the shape and arrangement of the crystals. The light reflected and refracted by ice crystals is often decomposed into a spectrum, which makes the halo look like a rainbow, however, the halo in low light conditions has low color, which is associated with the characteristics of twilight vision.
Sometimes in frosty weather, a halo is formed by crystals very close to the earth's surface. In this case, the crystals resemble shining gemstones.

Quite bright, slightly iridescent spots of light called “false suns” are often visible on the sides of the Sun. Sometimes one or two of them are visible even in the absence of a detailed halo pattern.

Previously in Rus', bright areas of pillars, halos and false suns were called “ears”, “sun with ears”, “pasun”. In the old days, various halos, like other celestial phenomena, were attributed the mystical meaning of omens (usually bad, especially if the halo took a cruciform shape, which was interpreted as a cross or a sword, or twins of the luminary appeared), to which there is a lot of chronicle evidence. Thus, in the “Tale of Igor’s Campaign” it is said that before the advance of the Polovtsians and the capture of Igor, “four suns shone over the Russian land,” which was perceived as a sign of an impending great misfortune. And in 1551, after a long siege by the troops of Emperor Charles V German city Magdeburg, a halo with false suns appeared in the sky above the city. This caused a stir among the besiegers. Since the halo was perceived as a “heavenly sign” in defense of the besieged, Charles V ordered the siege of the city to be lifted.

In times before meteorology, halos and similar optical phenomena were used to predict the weather. For example, Russian folk signs say that the appearance of similar light rings, arcs, spots, pillars around the moon means rain, and Chuvash folk signs mean cold weather (usually in winter).

A light pillar, or sun pillar, is one of the most common types of halo - a vertical strip of light extending from the sun during sunset or sunrise. The phenomenon is caused by hexagonal flat or columnar ice crystals. Flat crystals suspended in the air cause solar pillars if the sun is at a height of 6° above the horizon or behind it, columnar crystals - if the sun is at a height of 20° above the horizon. Crystals tend to take a horizontal position when falling in the air, and the appearance of the light column depends on their relative position.

IN Lately there are a large number of reports of Halos, False or Second Suns, Light or Solar pillars, which are sometimes mistaken for " Northern lights" Many have observed these beautiful natural phenomena themselves. What does science say about this phenomenon?

A halo is the refraction and reflection of light in the ice crystals of the upper clouds; represent light or rainbow circles around the Sun or Moon (an example of a photograph of a lunar halo), separated from the luminary by a dark gap. Halos are often observed at the front of cyclones (in the cirrostratus clouds of their warm front) and can therefore serve as a sign of their approach.

From the book “Meteorology and Climatology” S.P. Khromov, M.A. Petrosyants: “In addition to the main halo forms, false suns are observed - slightly colored light spots on the same level with the Sun and at an angular distance from it also 22 or 46°. the main circles are sometimes joined by various tangent arcs to them.There are still unpainted vertical pillars passing through the solar disk, i.e., as if continuing it up and down, as well as an unpainted horizontal circle at the same level with the Sun.

Colored halos are explained by the refraction of light in the hexagonal prismatic crystals of ice clouds, uncolored (colorless) forms by the reflection of light from the faces of the crystals. The variety of halo shapes depends mainly on the types and movement of crystals, on the orientation of their axes in space, as well as on the height of the Sun. The 22° halo is caused by the refraction of light by the side faces of the crystals with a random orientation of their main axes in all directions. If the main axes have a predominantly vertical direction, then on both sides of the solar disk (also at a distance of 22°), instead of a light circle, two light spots appear - false suns. The halo at 46° (and false suns at 46°) is caused by the refraction of light between the side faces and bases of the prisms, i.e. with a refractive angle of 90°. The horizontal circle is due to the reflection of light from the side faces of vertically located crystals, and the solar column is due to the reflection of light from crystals located predominantly horizontally.

In thin water clouds consisting of small homogeneous drops (usually altocumulus clouds) and covering the disk of the luminary, crown phenomena occur due to diffraction. Crowns also appear in fog near artificial light sources. The main, and often the only part of the crown is a light circle of small radius, closely surrounding the disk of the luminary (or an artificial light source). The circle is mainly bluish in color and only on the outer edge is reddish. It is also called a halo. It may be surrounded by one or more additional rings of the same, but lighter color, not adjacent to the circle and to each other. Halo radius 1-5°. It is inversely proportional to the diameters of the droplets in the cloud, so it can be used to determine the size of the droplets in the clouds. The crowns around small artificial light sources (compared to the disks of luminaries) have richer iridescent colors."

How can such extraordinary images be created in the air? What are the reasons for this interesting natural phenomenon? Studying the appearance of halos in the sky, scientists have long noticed that they occur when the Sun is covered with a white, shiny haze - a thin veil of high cirrus clouds. Such clouds float at an altitude of 6-8 kilometers above the ground and consist of tiny ice crystals, which most often have the shape of hexagonal columns or plates. Rising and falling in air currents, ice crystals, like a mirror, reflect or, like a prism, refract those falling on them. Sun rays.

At the same time, reflected rays from some crystals can enter our eyes. Then we watch various shapes halo. Here is one of these forms: a light horizontal circle appears in the sky, encircling the sky parallel to the horizon. Scientists conducted special experiments and found that such a circle arises due to reflection sunlight from the side faces of ice hexagonal crystals floating in the air in a vertical position. The rays of the Sun fall on such a crystal, are reflected from it, like from a mirror, and fall into our eyes.

Refraction of light on ice crystals

But our eyes cannot detect the bending of light rays, so we see the reflected image of the Sun not where it actually is, but on a straight line coming from the eyes, and the image will be visible at the same height above the horizon as real Sun. This phenomenon is similar to how we see the image of an electric light bulb in a mirror at the same time as the electric light bulb itself. There are a lot of such vertically floating mirror crystals in the air. They all reflect the sun's rays.

The mirror images of the Sun that fall into our eyes from individual crystals merge, and we see a solid light circle parallel to the horizon. Or it happens like this: The sun has just gone below the horizon, and a light column suddenly appears in the dark evening sky. This play of light, as shown by special experiments, involves ice plates floating in the atmosphere in a horizontal position. The rays of the Sun, which has just gone beyond the horizon, fall on the oscillating lower edges of such plates, are reflected and fall into the eyes of the observer.

When there are many such crystals in the air, the mirror images of the Sun that come into our eyes from individual ice plates merge into one, and we see a stretched, distorted image of the solar disk beyond recognition - a luminous pillar appears in the sky. Against the background of the evening dawn, it sometimes has a reddish color. Each of us has encountered a phenomenon similar to this more than once. Remember the solar or lunar “path” on the water. Here we see exactly the same distorted reflection of the Sun or Moon, only the role of a mirror is played not by ice crystals, but by the surface of the water. Have you ever seen a bright rainbow circle, surrounding the Sun?

This is also one of the forms of halo. It has been established that this halo is formed in cases where there are many hexagonal ice crystals in the air that refract the sun's rays like a glass prism. We do not see most of these refracted rays; they are scattered in the air. But some crystals also send directed rays into our eyes. Such crystals are located in the sky in a circle around the Sun. They all seem illuminated to us, and in this place we see a light circle, slightly colored in rainbow tones. We do not always see one or another form of halo in full in the sky. For example, in winter, when there is severe frost, two spots of light appear on both sides of the Sun. These are parts of the halo circle. Otherwise, it is only visible top part such a circle is above the Sun.

In the past, it was often mistaken for a luminous crown. The same thing happens with a horizontal circle passing through the Sun. Most often, only that part of it that is adjacent to the Sun is visible; then we see in the sky, as it were, two light tails stretching to the right and left of the Sun. It is not difficult to understand how luminous crosses appear in the air. From the Sun, which is low on the horizon or has already gone beyond the horizon, a long luminous pillar stretches upward. This pillar intersects with the part of the halo circle visible above the Sun, and a large luminous cross appears in the sky. Two crosses may appear. This happens when the vertical parts of the halo circle and parts of the horizontal circle adjacent to the Sun are visible in the sky; intersecting, they give two crosses on either side of the Sun. In other cases, instead of crosses, only luminous spots are visible here, close in size to the Sun.

This is how science explains the diverse mysterious phenomena halo, but does not explain the fact why the phenomenon previously considered rare, has now become commonplace and ubiquitous.

Solar Halos of various types different types observed throughout the year, including the hottest summer months and the number of halo observations began to increase from 2011 to an increasing increase in 2012. Why?

Halo Examples

"Classic" circular halo

Multiple Circular Rainbow Halo

Horizontal double Pagrelium

Single horizontal Pangrelium

Solar pillar in frosty weather

Light poles in frosty weather

Sun pillar over the sea

Light pillars “torn off” from the light source and creating the illusion of the “Northern Lights”

Light phenomena in clouds: halo, crowns

Halo- this is the refraction and reflection of light in the ice crystals of the upper tier clouds; represent light or rainbow circles around the Sun or Moon ( example of a photograph of a lunar halo), separated from the luminary by a dark gap. Halos are often observed at the front of cyclones (in cirrostratus clouds of their warm front) and therefore can serve as a sign of their approach.

Halo around the Sun in cirrostratus clouds

As a rule, halos appear as circles with a radius of 22 or 46 °, the centers of which coincide with the center of the solar (or lunar) disk. The circles are faintly colored in rainbow colors (red inside).
Halos are the surest sign of worsening weather. So, at the end of March 1988, a quiet, sunny climate prevailed in Moscow and the Moscow region. spring weather. But one evening a halo was observed around the Moon; and the very next day the weather suddenly deteriorated.
From the book “Meteorology and Climatology” S.P. Khromov, M.A. Petrosyants: “In addition to the main halo forms, false suns are observed - slightly colored light spots on the same level with the Sun and at an angular distance from it also 22 or 46°. the main circles are sometimes joined by various tangent arcs to them.There are still unpainted vertical pillars passing through the solar disk, i.e., as if continuing it up and down, as well as an unpainted horizontal circle at the same level with the Sun.
Colored halos are explained by the refraction of light in the hexagonal prismatic crystals of ice clouds, uncolored (colorless) forms by the reflection of light from the faces of the crystals. The variety of halo shapes depends mainly on the types and movement of crystals, on the orientation of their axes in space, as well as on the height of the Sun. The 22° halo is caused by the refraction of light by the side faces of the crystals with a random orientation of their main axes in all directions. If the main axes have a predominantly vertical direction, then on both sides of the solar disk (also at a distance of 22°), instead of a light circle, two light spots appear - false suns.

The halo at 46° (and false suns at 46°) is caused by the refraction of light between the side faces and bases of the prisms, i.e. with a refractive angle of 90°.
The horizontal circle is due to the reflection of light from the side faces of vertically located crystals, and the solar column is due to the reflection of light from crystals located predominantly horizontally.

In thin water clouds consisting of small uniform droplets (usually altocumulus clouds) and covering the disk of the luminary, due to diffraction, apparitions of the crowns.

altocumulus clouds

Crowns also appear in fog near artificial light sources. The main, and often the only part of the crown is a light circle of small radius, closely surrounding the disk of the luminary (or an artificial light source). The circle is mainly bluish in color and only on the outer edge is reddish. It is also called a halo. It may be surrounded by one or more additional rings of the same, but lighter color, not adjacent to the circle and to each other. Halo radius 1-5°. It is inversely proportional to the diameters of the droplets in the cloud, so it can be used to determine the size of the droplets in the clouds.
The crowns around small artificial light sources (compared to the disks of luminaries) have richer iridescent colors."

Folk signs related to halo:

After the appearance of fast-moving cirrus clouds, the sky becomes covered with a transparent (veil-like) layer of cirrostratus clouds. They are found in circles around the Sun or Moon (a sign of worsening weather).

cirrostratus clouds

A halo is visible around the Sun or Moon (a sign of worsening weather).
- In winter - white crowns of large diameter around the Sun or Moon, as well as pillars near the Sun, or so-called false suns (a sign of continued frosty weather).
- The ring around the Moon is towards the wind (worsening weather).

Let us quote the book by V.A. Mezentsev “Religious superstitions and their harm” (Moscow, 1959). Here is what is written there about the phenomena described above: “For example, what a complex and rare in its shape halo was actually observed in the spring of 1928 in the city of Bely, Smolensk region. At about 8-9 o’clock in the morning on both sides of the Sun - to the right and to the left - there were two bright, rainbow-colored false suns are visible. They had short, slightly curved whitish tails. The real Sun was in the center of the luminous circle. In addition, several luminous arcs were visible in the sky. It was these arcs that were mistaken for curves in past centuries fiery swords hanging in the sky.
And on November 28, 1947, a complex halo around the Moon was observed in the city of Poltava. The moon was in the center of the light circle. New moons, or, as they are often called, paraselenes, were also visible on the circle to the right and left; the left paraselen was brighter and had a tail. Not the entire halo circle was visible. It was brightest in its upper part and on the left. At the top of the halo circle there was a bright tangent arc.

Spindrift clouds

Such clouds float at an altitude of 6-8 kilometers above the ground and consist of tiny ice crystals, which most often have the shape of hexagonal columns or plates. Rising and falling in air currents, ice crystals, like a mirror, reflect or, like a prism, refract the sun's rays falling on them. At the same time, reflected rays from some crystals can enter our eyes. Then we observe various forms of halo. Here is one of these forms: a light horizontal circle appears in the sky, encircling the sky parallel to the horizon. Scientists conducted special experiments and found that such a circle arises due to the reflection of sunlight from the side faces of ice hexagonal crystals floating in the air in a vertical position. The rays of the Sun fall on such a crystal, are reflected from it, like from a mirror, and fall into our eyes. But our eyes cannot detect the bending of light rays, so we see the reflected image of the Sun not where it actually is, but on a straight line coming from the eyes, and the image will be visible at the same height above the horizon as real Sun.

This phenomenon is similar to how we see the image of an electric light bulb in a mirror at the same time as the electric light bulb itself. There are a lot of such vertically floating mirror crystals in the air. They all reflect the sun's rays. The mirror images of the Sun that fall into our eyes from individual crystals merge, and we see a solid light circle parallel to the horizon. Or it happens like this: The sun has just gone below the horizon, and in the dark evening sky suddenly appears light pillar . This play of light, as shown by special experiments, involves ice plates floating in the atmosphere in a horizontal position. The rays of the Sun, which has just gone beyond the horizon, fall on the oscillating lower edges of such plates, are reflected and fall into the eyes of the observer. When there are many such crystals in the air, the mirror images of the Sun that come into our eyes from individual ice plates merge into one, and we see a stretched, distorted image of the solar disk beyond recognition - a luminous pillar appears in the sky. Against the background of the evening dawn, it sometimes has a reddish color. Each of us has encountered a phenomenon similar to this more than once. Remember the solar or lunar “path” on the water. Here we see exactly the same distorted reflection of the Sun or Moon, only the role of a mirror is played not by ice crystals, but by the surface of the water. Have you ever seen a light rainbow circle surrounding the Sun? This is also one of the forms of halo. It has been established that this halo is formed in cases where there are many hexagonal ice crystals in the air that refract the sun's rays like a glass prism. We do not see most of these refracted rays; they are scattered in the air. But some crystals also send directed rays into our eyes. Such crystals are located in the sky in a circle around the Sun. They all seem illuminated to us, and in this place we see a light circle, slightly colored in rainbow tones. We do not always see one or another form of halo in full in the sky. For example, in winter, when there is severe frost, two spots of light appear on both sides of the Sun. These are parts of the halo circle. In another case, only the upper part of such a circle is visible - above the Sun. In the past, it was often mistaken for a luminous crown. The same thing happens with a horizontal circle passing through the Sun. Most often, only that part of it that is adjacent to the Sun is visible; then we see in the sky, as it were, two light tails stretching to the right and left of the Sun. It is not difficult to understand how luminous crosses appear in the air. From the Sun, which is low on the horizon or has already gone beyond the horizon, a long luminous pillar stretches upward. This pillar intersects with the part of the halo circle visible above the Sun, and a large luminous cross appears in the sky. Two crosses may appear. This happens when the vertical parts of the halo circle and parts of the horizontal circle adjacent to the Sun are visible in the sky; intersecting, they give two crosses on either side of the Sun. In other cases, instead of crosses, only luminous spots are visible here, close in size to the Sun.

They are called false suns. This type of halo is usually observed when the Sun is low above the horizon. Specially conducted experiments show that the formation of false suns involves hexagonal crystals, which float in the air not randomly, but so that their axes are located predominantly vertically. In the northern regions, where a halo is generally observed much more often, loafing suns can be seen dozens of times a year. They are often so bright that they are as bright as the Sun itself. This is how science explains the diverse, mysterious phenomena of the halo and exposes religious superstitions. Studying various phenomena related to the passage of light in the atmosphere, our scientists not only give them a scientifically correct, materialistic explanation, but also use the acquired knowledge for the development of science. Thus, observations of the crowns, which we talked about, help determine the size of ice crystals and water droplets from which various clouds are formed. Observations of crowns and halos also provide the opportunity for scientific weather prediction. So, if the crown that appears gradually decreases, precipitation can be expected. Increasing crowns, on the contrary, foreshadows the onset of dry, clear weather."

Prepared by O. Malakhov. Photo Meteoweb.ru