Ring Around The Moon Turns Out Be A Thrilling Experience For The Stargazers
December 1st, 2009 - 6:42 pm ICT by GDBy Gina Gomez
Savannah, Dec.01, (THAINDIAN NEWS) Sunday night proved to be an immensely enjoyable experience for enthusiastic stargazers across the region as they witnessed a unique phenomenon where a luminous ring appeared to surround the moon during night.
The bright ring around the moon which is known as ‘lunar halo’ turned out to be an extremely thrilling sight as a rainbow comprising of many colors supposedly seemed to appear inside the ring. Although, usually the rings encompassing the moon appear to be white and without any distinct color, this time the sight was different. However, the treat did not just end here due to fact that the different colors of the rainbow were also visible, if one managed to look really closely.
This distinct optical effect is produced due to the passage of the moonlight through ice crystals in the higher part of the atmosphere which leads to the phenomenon of refraction. Moreover, the hexagonal shape of the crystals then results in the light rays being focused in the form of a ring. The ring almost always appears in the same shape and size as the shape of the crystals does not undergo any change and maintains a hexagonal shape.
Meanwhile, the ring around the moon or sun is also used to predict the weather conditions. Usually, it is presumed that the ring signifies the advent of rain or snow. Moreover, it is believed by many that the number of stars within the lunar halo refer to the total number of days before the precipitation would appear. However, even if the predictions do not turn out to be true but the ring surely provides a spectacular experience for the stargazers.
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Tags: advent, colors of the rainbow, crystals, different colors, distinct color, enjoyable experience, gina gomez, hexagonal shape, light rays, luminous ring, lunar halo, moonlight, optical effect, precipitation, refraction, ring around the moon, savannah, spectacular experience, stargazers, weather conditions