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Did you see the halo moon last night?

The halo is actually millions of tiny ice crystals
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Many caught the halo moon on camera like Wendy Andrews did here. (Wendy Andrews photo Facebook)

Were you lucky enough to see the halo moon Saturday night?

Moon halos occur when millions of tiny ice crystals in thin clouds high up in the Earth’s atmosphere split and reflect the sun’s light bouncing off the moon. The phenomenon is fairly rare, as the ice crystals have to be positioned exactly right in relation to where you are looking up in order for the halo to appear.

According to the Farmers’ Almanac, the prism effect of light passing through these six-sided ice crystals separates the light into its various colours, resulting in a halo that can be tinged with very pale rainbow colours with red on the inside and blue on the outside.

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“Weather lore says a lunar halo is the precursor of impending unsettled weather, especially during the winter months. This is often proved true, as cirrus and cirrostratus clouds generally precede rain and storm systems,” says the Farmers’ Almanac.



monique.Tamminga@pentictonwesternnews.com

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Monique Tamminga

About the Author: Monique Tamminga

Monique brings 20 years of award-winning journalism experience to the role of editor at the Penticton Western News. Of those years, 17 were spent working as a senior reporter and acting editor with the Langley Advance Times.
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