Halo over Kyiv

We are talking about the halo, which is an optical phenomenon that occurs as a result of the refraction and reflection of light in the atmosphere. Channel 24 writes that the principles of formation are similar to rainbows, but that the halo appears around the Sun and is formed not in water droplets, but in ice crystals.

You can observe a halo in the sky at any time of the year, day or night, around the Sun or the Moon, and even around lanterns or lamps (the latter only in cold weather). However, although there is a seemingly simple way of generating the phenomenon, this does not occur very often.

Halo Over Kiev / Photo by Viktoriya Kutyn/24 Channels

Halo Over Kyiv / Photo @valeriesavo/ Twitter

How can I distinguish a halo from a rainbow?

• A rainbow with its back to the sun and a halo near the sun (except for a few species) are observed.
• The rainbow is full color, it has all the colors of the spectrum: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, cyan, violet. Halo is mostly poorly colored – only red and orange are available, the rest less visible. In very rare cases, the halo is in full color.
• The color of the rainbow is red on the outside and purple near the center. The halo closer to the center (the Sun) is red.

Halo Over Kiev / Photo: Larisa Kucher/Facebook