Comet Enthusiast

A halo appeared around the Sun on Nov. 1, 2010 in Centurion South Africa. Credit: Alan Buff.

Residents around Johannesburg, South Africa were treated with a rare astronomical sight — a halo around the Sun. These halos are striking to see, but unlike an eclipse, they can’t be predicted. Conditions in the atmosphere have to be just right, with moisture or ice crystals creating a “rainbow” effect around the Sun. Sometimes the halos surround the Sun completely, other times, they appear as arcs around the solar sphere. Basically, sunlight is reflecting off moisture in the atmosphere. These images were sent in by Alan Buff from Centurion, South Africa. See more below.

Another image of a halo that appeared around the Sun on Nov. 1, 2010 in Centurion South Africa; this one has a building blocking out the Sun itself. Credit: Alan Buff.

In folklore, these halos seen around the Sun or the Moon means precipitation is on the way, which makes sense, since moisture in the atmosphere usually makes it down to the ground. High clouds of ice crystals high in the sky are called cirrus clouds, and these often form in at the leading edge of warm fronts that bring rain.

Newspaper and internet articles report that Johannesburg was buzzing about the halos, but the explanation was simple and did not include aliens.

Read more: What Does a Ring Around the Sun Mean? | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/facts_5232115_ring-around-sun-mean_.html#ixzz144hTRWY4

A halo appeared around the Sun on Nov. 1, 2010 in Centurion South Africa. Credit: Alan Buff.

Thanks again to Alan Buff for sharing his images with Universe Today.

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