A Sun Halo!

[smileypoorni (Poornima)]

Dear All,

This is Poornima. I am a great fan of iceinspace. I love everybody's work here. I have been following this site for a pretty long time but only had a thought of posting few images today as I saw something different.

There is a dark circle around sun in the photos that I have posted. I saw it around 2.00 pm today (15.01.2010). It lasted for around 15 mins I guess. Could someone please tell me what it is? I have seen similar rings around moon but never I have seen one around sun.

I tried my best to get the full view of the sun but couldn't. Did anyone else saw the same today?

Comments are welcome! Thanks.

[erick (Eric)]

A Sun halo! Yes, it can happen with the Sun as well:-

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halo_(optical_phenomenon)

Good capture!

[smileypoorni (Poornima)]

Thank you very much for the information and appreciation, Eric.

[Lumen Miner (Mitchell)]

Wow! cool!!

Are you shooting through a mirror for the first three?
I need to get a filter and try some sun shots. Last time I was shooting a sunrise with the sun still up, I managed to do some serious damage to my right eye. Didn't even realise as the sun was not harsh to veiw with my eyes, just after about 10minutes of shooting the sunset, I lost all colour recognition in my right camera eye for an hour, only seeing shades of orange. Scary / stupid stuff, won't do that again.

I love phenominum like your shots, great work!!

WooT!! 700 posts

[firstlight (Tony)]

Your last shot looks like a "sundog" aka "mock sun", aka par helia. Another phenomenon caused by ice crystals in the atmosphere. Great capture.

[firstlight (Tony)]

Looking again at you capture, was the last shot above the sun or to the left or right of the Sun?

[smileypoorni (Poornima)]

Originally Posted by Lumen Miner

Wow! cool!!

Are you shooting through a mirror for the first three?
I need to get a filter and try some sun shots. Last time I was shooting a sunrise with the sun still up, I managed to do some serious damage to my right eye. Didn't even realise as the sun was not harsh to veiw with my eyes, just after about 10minutes of shooting the sunset, I lost all colour recognition in my right camera eye for an hour, only seeing shades of orange. Scary / stupid stuff, won't do that again.

I love phenominum like your shots, great work!!

WooT!! 700 posts

Thank you, Mitchell! To be honest, I really donno if I deserve that much appreciation. Becoz, I shot that with a normal digital camera (Canon) with just my spectacles (corrective lenses for short sight) and a coolers on top of that. I couldn't see the sun for more than few secs. So the pics that I've posted are taken just with the camera facing the sun. Just tried to adjust the camera accordingly. (just like how we try to take a pic of ourselves!). Anyways thanks a lot for your appreciation. My eyes too started watering quite a lot while looking at sun directly! How stupid! As you said we should try with sun filters.

[smileypoorni (Poornima)]

Hi Tony thanks. The last one was to the right of the sun quite a lot of distance between them. I have another picture showing the same below the sun. Have a look.

[firstlight (Tony)]

Hi Poornima,

Looks like the last couple of images are circumhorizontal arcs http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circumhorizontal_arc

Well done.

[rocks2atlantis]

Yes I was fortunate to be teaching swimming at cottesloe beach at 1:30-2pm Thursday 4th Feb. Children In my class were lying in the sand when they saw it and said look up. I say it and was in awe. It was amazing and huge. Travis

[rocks2atlantis]

I showed the halo to another teacher and she said it was just my polarized sunglasses! So We removed our sunglasses and the halo remained around the sun. Best Day Ever!