Sky Watch Friday is hosted by:Tom, Sandy, IMAC , Klaus & Ivar
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A halo (ἅλως; also known as a nimbus, icebow or Gloriole) is an optical phenomenon that appears near or around the Sun or Moon, and sometimes near other strong light sources such as street lights. There are many types of optical halos, but they are mostly caused by ice crystals in cold cirrus clouds located high (5–10 km, or 3–6 miles) in the upper troposphere. The particular shape and orientation of the crystals is responsible for the type of halo observed. Light is reflected and refracted by the ice crystals and may split up into colors because of dispersion, similarly to the rainbow.
Sometimes in very cold weather optical halos are formed by crystals close to ground level, called diamond dust. The crystals behave like jewels, refracting and reflecting sunlight between their faces, sending shafts of light in particular directions.
Atmospheric phenomena such as halos were used as an empirical means of weather forecasting before meteorology was developed.
Other common optical phenomena involving water droplets rather than ice crystals include the glory and the rainbow. SOURCE
This photo was taken in July of '07. I have featured this photo before in this blog, but I thought I would share it with the sky watchers.
I started a new blog yesterday called Silly Me I started it because in these hard times everybody needs a smile. So each day I am posting a joke from all the fwrds I get in my email box.If you have a funny joke or a funny picture you would like to share with me you can send it to my email @ cloudstalker.jess@yahoo.com.
Have a fantastic day!!
Peace and Love!!
Jess
Cloud Stalker
34 comments:
I love solar halos!!! Great captures, Jess! Great idea on the other blog. Laughter is the best medicine!
Thank you Dew!!
Interesting post and nice photos:) Happy SWF!~
THANK YOU YEN!! HAVE A GREAT SWF!
Wonderful photos. Very dramatic!!
Happy Sky Watch
Very interesting. You say this phenomena was used to predict the weather. I wonder what is the forecast when we see a halo?
Marnie
Super shots.
So that's what they're called. Thanks for the info. Did I tell you how much I loved your title, Cloud Stalker?
Happy skywatching.
Great photos, very interesting too
Thanks :-)
Absolutely beautiful!
Well done!
Delightful shot and a very informative posting... cloud stalking at its best... :O)
Thank for joining in with Sky Watch again this week...TOM
Mine's Here
Beautiful clouds - I really enjoy watching the clouds that float by my window. You found some good ones
Beautiful photo and thanks for all the information.
I am learning so much about cloud formations on skywatch each week. Interesting narrative and dramatic image.
love the shapes of the gaps
Nice halos and a neat commentary on what causes them
Thanks for sharing
Cheers
I just want to be there!
WONDERFUL photos I have never seen anything quite like that!
Really good shots! I enjoyed the post too.
Even if those pictures weren't great. You won me over by giving the greek etymology. Well done.
Don't you love the interest and drama clouds and weather add to the sky. We might know that they predict weather but sometimes it is nice just to sit and watch the show.
Thanks for sharing with sky watch friday and your kind comments on my post earlier.
Beautiful
I've seen that phenomenon, but I never knew what caused it. Thank you for the explanation, as well as for your nice photos.
You are right: no matter where you are on earth skies take the same formations all over the world. That's why I showed an Australian sky together with a Dutch sky.
Thanks for your visit.
Jess: So very neat, thanks for the explanation. You and Dew are really cloud experts.
Interesting column to go with your picture - learn something new each day, take care, Judyx
You have really nice sky captures on your blog!!!
I love halos, enjoyed seeing them from above overflying lower clouds in a small plane. Great shots.
Wonderful dramatic sky-shots! Love it!
Great Shots!
Wonderful halo shots, never seen one before
Gorgeous picture and interesting text!
Optical halos..I never knew what that was..Thank you as I always like to learn something new and thank you for visiting my SW..
A phenomenon to enjoy, nice idea to share this in image and info.
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