Halo around the sun

[Reel_Big_Fish]

Anyone notice the rainbow looking halo that is/was around the sun today. I noticed it at about 2:30 or so this afternoon while at lunch.

It's pretty cool looking but I have no clue what it is. Anybody know?

[Pete]

I think it's caused by high level ice clouds - the harbinger of an approaching front.

[Chrome Bumper]

Sun dog

[slowbuilder2005]

I think it's caused by high level ice clouds - the harbinger of an approaching front.

Moisture of some kind for sure. I grew up working on a friend's onion farm ...standard knowledge that a 'moon dog' or 'sun dog' (those halos) meant it would likely rain within 2 days. I think it probably means a front is coming in and what we are seeing is the moist air rising over the high that we are currently in. Something like that. Let's see if it's true... (Anybody hear lots of frogs croaking last night? That's another clue ... :grin

Brian

[RvW]

The first time a saw one I was amazed...I actually wondered if that was the hole in the o-zone we heard about in the 80s
My best recollection of an explaination is that the ring is caused by a layer of upper atmosphere ice crystals. They are common. We only see a ring because sunlight is only visably refracted at a certain angle between you and the sun. Imagine a mirrored ball directly between you and the sun. You wouldnt see a reflection because the mirror is in your line of sight to the sun. But move it in any direction away from your line of sight to the sun, and youll see its relfection...Did that make any sense?

[Striper Club]

Yeah, pretty much refraction I think. Also, like others have said, it is a Farmer's Almanac type of harbringer--like leaves on trees showing their backsides--usually indicating a system moving in.