Multiple Lunar Halos and Stary Night Sky
December 23, 2021
Photographer: Soumyadeep Mukherjee
Summary Authors: Soumyadeep Mukherjee; Cadan Cummings
This feature photo captures several atmospheric optical phenomena and night sky objects in the sky over Kolkata, India. Most prominently, two types of lunar halos are visible, a 9 degree odd-radius and 22-degree halo. Both lunar halos are a product of light refraction and reflection from ice crystals in the atmosphere. As their names imply, lunar halos are described by their apparent radii around the Moon. In addition to the lunar halos, several additional objects seen in the night sky included the Pleiades approaching a near-conjunction with Moon, rise of the "hunter" Orion constellation, and an airplane contrail that appears to cross the lunar halos. Overall, this photo shows a busy night sky with a lot going on all at once!
Photo details: Nikon D5600, Tokina 11-16mm atx-i, Digitek DTR 520BH Tripod; Exif: 30 × 13 seconds, f/3.2, ISO 160, 11mm (Sky), 6 × 6 seconds, f/4, ISO 800, 11mm (Foreground)