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Above is an image of the halo over Lubbock captured Tuesday night. Photo by Todd Lindley

Lunar Halo Over Lubbock, 22 January 2008


A beautiful lunar halo graced the skies over Lubbock, and probably much of the South Plains, Tuesday night (22 January 2008). The halo resulted when brilliant light from the full moon shown through ice-laced cirrus clouds some 25,000 feet above the ground. Small ice crystals within the clouds refracted and reflected the moonlight, providing us with a view of a common halo known as the 22 degree ice halo. The bright “flares” seen at the same level as the moon, but on each side of the halo are known as parhelia (or moondogs).

You can learn more about halos, and other atmospheric optical phenomenon here.
https://www.atoptics.co.uk/halosim.htm

 

Another view of the halo. Photo by Todd Lindley