Nevada Noontime Halo
November 14, 2005
Provided and copyright by: Judy A Mosby
Summary authors & editors: Judy A Mosby
A little after noon on July 7, 2005, I stepped out on my deck, in Lovelock, Nevada, to this dazzling 22 degree halo. It was visible for more than an hour and very intense -- no need to enhance this photo. Halos develop as sunlight is refracted through myriad pencil shaped ice crystals, present in thin layers of cirrus type clouds. These hexagonal crystals usually don't have a preferred orientation (randomly oriented). As with many vibrant halos, the cloud presenting this 22 degree ring of light was nearly invisible. Remember to always shield your eyes when photographing in the vicinity of the Sun, even your thumb will help. Also, use your LCD screen and not your view finder.
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