Solar Halo Display Above Ottawa, Canada

November 24, 2015

Solar Halo plus.

Photographer: Mary Brown
Summary Author: Mary Brown
November 2015 Viewer's Choice
On October 2, 2015, residents in and around Canada's capital city, Ottawa, were treated to an impressive halo display. Hexagonal ice crystals composing the cirrus overcast generated several splendid arcs and circles, some that were quite colorful. I was especially excited to see a nearly complete parhelic circle. This colorless band appears to pass through the Sun and under optimal seeing conditions extends across the entire sky. Other components of this halo complex included:
  • 22 degree solar halo -- circle 22 degrees from the Sun
  • Parhelia or sundogs -- at the same altitude as the Sun
  • Upper tangent arc -- bright arc tangent to the top of the 22 degree halo
  • Parry arc -- faint arc above the upper tangent arc
Always make sure to protect your eyes when looking anywhere near the Sun.

Photo Details: Camera Model: Canon EOS REBEL T3i; Lens: EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II; Focal Length: 18mm; Aperture: ƒ/13.0; Exposure Time: 0.0025 s (1/400); ISO equiv: 100; Software: Adobe Photoshop CS6 (Windows).
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