Snow Halo Over Mala Fatra Mountains
March 03, 2022
Photographer: Vicktor Belicak
Summary Authors: Vicktor Belicak; Cadan Cummings
The two photos above show a solar halo captured over the snowy mountains of Mala Fatra in Slovakia. Both photos were taken on the afternoon of December 4, 2021, while on a hike to the peak of Klak. Solar halos are produced when ice crystals in the atmosphere act like a prism and split the light by dispersion. These ice crystals often compose high altitude cirrus clouds, however, a halo can also form when diamond dust is present during very cold winter weather. This photo serves as an example of how mother nature never stops fascinating us.
Photo details: Nikon D850, ISO-100, 14mm, f/22, 1/100 second exposure (first photo); ISO-100, 18 mm, f/16, 1/320 second exposure (second photo)