Lunar Halo Complex

February 11, 2004

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Referred by: Michael Ellestad
Summary authors & editors: Jim Foster; Michael Ellestad

If you pay close attention to the sky, a number of halos can be readily recognized at night, if the Moon is full or nearly so, as well as during the day. This lunar halo display was captured in early December over southern Ohio. The following halos and arcs are visible in varying degrees of brightness; 22 degree halo, parhelion or paraselene, paraselenic circle, upper tangent arc, and upper concave Parry arc. Although not shown here, a circumzenithal was visible, and later as the Moon climbed higher,a circumscribed halo arose as did, a rare circumhorizontal arc under the Moon!

Photo details: Nikon D-100 digital camera, Fisheye lense, 5 second exposure.

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