Chatroom
 

If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Go Back   Bad Astronomy and Universe Today Forum > Space and Astronomy > Astronomy
Register FAQ Members List Calendar Mark Forums Read

   

Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
  #1 (permalink)  
Old 28-January-2002, 04:25 AM
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Just looked outside saw a big circle around moon, a friend at notre dame saw it as well. What did we see. Tried to take a picture on digital camera but it didnt show up and we cant ajust timing.
Reply With Quote
  #2 (permalink)  
Old 28-January-2002, 04:56 AM
DStahl DStahl is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Eugene, Oregon, USA, Earth
Posts: 930
Default

Probably a layer of ice crystals high in the atmosphere reflecting and/or refracting the moonlight. Even when the sky looks quite clear there can be high hazes like this--where I live it often means moisture moving in and a storm on the way. There can be beautiful effects, especially in winter when small flat-faced ice crystals reflect sun- or moonlight. I once saw a brilliant pair of sundogs with partial arcs and a sun halo just before a snowstorm in the Cascade Mountains.

Enjoy it! Not enough people remember to look up.

--Don Stahl
Reply With Quote
  #3 (permalink)  
Old 28-January-2002, 08:53 AM
Kaptain K's Avatar
Kaptain K Kaptain K is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Elgin, Tx
Posts: 7,581
Default

What you saw is known as a "halo". They are very common, both night (moon) and day (sun). They are a subset of a phenomenon known as "parhelia". In our modern technological world, many of us have lost connection with the world around us. As DStahl said, halos are often a portent of storms moving in. If you make a habit of looking for them whenever there is a high haze or cirrus clouds in the sky, you can probably see the once a week or more.
For more information, try here:
http://www.sundog.clara.co.uk/halo/halosim.htm
or try a Google search for "parhelia".
__________________
Any day you wake up on "the right side of the dirt" is a good day.

T. Anderson
Reply With Quote
Reply


Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On



All times are GMT. The time now is 06:15 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.7.3
Copyright ©2000 - 2008, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
LinkBacks Enabled by vBSEO 3.0.0
©  2006 Bad Astronomy and Universe Today