Sun halo:
Two days ago we enjoyed the scenery from zodiac, the beauty of the landscape enhanced by a circular halo around the sun. These halos are created because of sunlight interacting with tiny ice crystals in clouds at high altitudes or at lower altitudes (even on the ground if it is cold enough). The tiny ice crystals, suspended in air, reflect and refract (i.e., bend) the light. Thus, the ice crystals act as mirrors and prisms!
It is different from a sun dog in that sun dogs appear as a pair of bright spots around the sun: one to the left and one to the right of the sun. However, the principle is the same - the interaction between sunlight and ice crystals.
Sun halos can be seen anywhere around the world, as long as conditions favor the formation of the tiny ice crystals (such as very high, thin, clouds).
A beautifying complement to a stunning landscape.
