In meteorology, a halo is a ring or arc of light that appears around the sun or moon.
It is caused by the reflection, refraction, and dispersion of sunlight or moonlight by ice crystals suspended in the Earth’s atmosphere.
Halos around the sun are more common than those around the moon because the sun is much brighter, and its light is scattered more easily by the ice crystals. Halos are typically seen when thin, high-altitude clouds containing ice crystals pass in front of the sun or moon, creating a luminous ring or halo around the celestial body.
Halos can take on different shapes and sizes, depending on the type of ice crystal, the position of the observer, and the orientation of the crystals in the atmosphere. They can range from a simple circle or ring to more complex shapes, such as a sun pillar or a parhelic circle. Halos are a beautiful and fascinating meteorological phenomenon, and they have been observed and studied by scientists and sky watchers for centuries.
The phenomenon of halos has been known and observed for centuries, and it is difficult to attribute the first written account to a specific author. However, the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle (384-322 BC) wrote about halos in his work “Meteorologica,” where he described the phenomenon of circular halos around the sun and moon.
Later, the Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder (23-79 AD) also wrote about halos in his book “Natural History,” where he described the phenomenon as a “crown of light” around the sun.
Throughout history, many other scientists, philosophers, and writers have described and studied halos, including Leonardo da Vinci, Johannes Kepler, and Robert Boyle, among others. Today, halos continue to be a subject of scientific study and fascination among sky watchers and meteorologists alike.
