Moon tonight

[rhisaac]

I'm a newby to this site - but wondering if anyone knew what was going on with the moon tonight. There was an amazing circle around - at least a hands width span. It almost looked like an explosion - with Jupiter and Antares looking amazing as part of the picture ....

[rhisaac]

Here is a very amateur pic .... :)

[acropolite]

Noticed the same over the past few nights, I suspect it's the result of smoke/water particles in the upper atmosphere.

[ballaratdragons]

It is an atmospheric ring. We get a lot of them. Usually (but not always) we have nice weather the following day after the ring.

[rhisaac]

Thanks to you both!!!

[ballaratdragons]

http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/ask_astro/answers/970102b.html :thumbsup:

[iceman]

That's a moon halo! Nicely done.

When there's water and ice crystals in the atmosphere.

[rhisaac]

I think its a full moon tonight so maybe the effect might be there again .... might try to get to darker skies. :thumbsup:

[Blue Skies]

The halo is caused by ice crystals in the atmosphere. The halo is always at 22 degrees in width (of a full 360 deg in the sky) See here: http://www.atoptics.co.uk for a better explaination. I've seen a few, including some around the sun in the daytime, even here in Perth!