A remarkable celestial spectacle unfolded in the skies above the United Kingdom recently when an astronomer captured a stunning series of arcs and halos of light encircling the sun.
The most captivating feature of the display was an exceptionally rare ring of light that enveloped the entire sky, leaving spectators in awe.
Astronomer Observes Sun Halo
LiveScience reports that Alan Fitzsimmons, an astronomer from Queen's University Belfast in Northern Ireland, photographed this extraordinary phenomenon on May 28 in Belfast's Botanic Gardens.
Ice Halo Display ~ Taken by Alan Fitzsimmons on May 28, 2023 @ Belfast, Northern Ireland. pic.twitter.com/j5fkp4P45e
— David Crook (@StellarInsights) May 29, 2023
The breathtaking sky show, known as a pair of sun dogs, 22-degree halos, or just halos, lasted approximately 30 minutes, providing a spectacular show for lucky observers.
Reports from Spaceweather.com indicate that parts of Northern Ireland, northern England, and Scotland also witnessed some of the awe-inspiring luminous rays.
How Sun Halos Form
EarthSky explains that the mesmerizing arcs and halos are caused by millions of ice crystals scattered throughout our planet's upper atmosphere.
These delicate crystals frequently accompany thin cirrus clouds, aligning in a hexagonal shape when the atmospheric winds are uniform.
As sunlight passes through these crystals, akin to a prism effect, the rays merge and produce mesmerizing arcs and circles of light.
LiveScience tells us that Fitzsimmons' image showcases at least three optical phenomena. Firstly, a 22-degree halo, a large circle encircling the sun, captures attention. On either side of this halo are a pair of dazzling "sundogs," which further enhance the spectacle.
Lastly, the most elusive and remarkable feature is a complete parhelic circle bisecting the central halo, which astonishingly forms a full circle enveloping the entire sky.
A Rare Sky Phenomenon
A parhelic circle is exceedingly rare as it demands at least five internal reflections from countless individual ice crystals, all intersecting with sunbeams simultaneously.
Fitzsimmons highlights the parhelic circle as the most extraordinary of all the dazzling features captured in the image.
He reveals having witnessed this breathtaking sight only a few times in his career, emphasizing its rarity. However, the other optical phenomena, although perhaps less known to the general public, are relatively more common.
Fitzsimmons advises that observing these phenomena can be challenging due to the sun's brightness. One must obstruct the sun's rays using a thumb or a tree while enjoying a sunny day accompanied by wispy, high-altitude clouds to catch a glimpse.
He suggests that any such opportunity is worth exploring, as the sky might reveal halos or potentially even more stunning displays.
Minuscule atmospheric ice crystals also create various other peculiar visual phenomena. One example is polar stratospheric clouds, illuminating the Arctic sky with a bright display reminiscent of rainbows.
Another fascinating occurrence is night-shining clouds, also called noctilucent clouds, which will become more visible to residents of the Northern Hemisphere during June and July.
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