ROANOKE, Va. – UPDATE: This was seen again early Monday morning in parts of the Roanoke Valley.
Another day, another 22° moon halo! Caught this outside my apartment before work. 🌝 pic.twitter.com/lZp8KrhWt5
— Chris Michaels (@WSLS_Michaels) February 7, 2023
Recommended Videos
It was Saturday night when the nearly full moon put on a show in the night sky.
A halo formed around it, which caused some of us to take out our phones and send pictures.
You can do so too by making your own profile on Pin It here.
These halos form when the moon (or sun during the day) light refracts or bends when passing through ice crystals. This refraction is similar to when you see a “rainbow” on your house’s floor on a sunny day.
Clouds (cirrus clouds) at the 30,000-foot level were cold enough to be composed of ice Saturday night, which led to this refraction of moonlight.
The angle at which that refraction happens is 22°, which is why you’ll often hear atmospheric scientists/meteorologists refer to this as a 22° halo.