Lunar Halo Over the New Forest Observatory

January 20, 2015

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Photographer: Greg Parker
Summary AuthorsGreg Parker; Jim Foster

The photo above shows a superb lunar halo over the New Forest Observatory in southern England, on the night of January 2, 2014. This halo persisted for approximately four hours. Cirrus clouds with their attendant ice crystals covered much of the sky in advance of a strong storm system that struck the following day. Moonlight shining through the randomly oriented ice crystals produced a 22 degree halo. Since moonlight is dim compared to sunlight, lunar halos are generally colorless. Note that the Moon here was two days shy of being in the full phase.

Photo details: Camera Canon 5D MkII camera; Canon 15mm fish eye lens; bulb setting manual for 30-seconds; at f/2.8; ISO 100.