Corona Over Westmoreland State Park, Virginia
February 07, 2020
Photographers: Sarah Perry and William Colling
Summary Authors: Sarah Perry and William Colling; Jim Foster
We observed this impressive corona while visiting Westmoreland State Park in Montross, Virginia on January 16, 2020. Coronas result from the diffraction of sunlight by minute water droplets that compose mid-level clouds. For the colors to be as pure as rendered here, drop sizes must be uniform throughout the cloud and the sky must be relatively free of aerosols. Be sure to use utmost caution when looking anywhere near the Sun.