Amazing and multifaceted nature is not only the diversity of its flora and fauna, but also unusual, unique and fantastic phenomena. The origin of most of them is scientifically explainable. The optical phenomenon of the halo is one of them.
In ancient times, the halo, as well as other inexplicable
celestial phenomena, people attributed the mystical meanings of bad omens (especially for the cross-shaped halo or for the twin of the stars). For example, the “Word on Igor's Regiment” says that just before the Polovtsy’s offensive and the capture of the prince “four suns shone on Russian soil”. It was perceived at that time as a sign of the arrival of great misfortune.
Amazing in nature
There are many phenomena whose origin is not entirely clear to ordinary people. The following is a brief description of some of the most common ones.
Aurora borealis - a glow that occurs when the upper layers of the atmosphere interact with solar charged particles. Such a fantastic phenomenon can be found mainly in latitudes located closer to the poles.
Falling stars (luminous, gliding points moving across the sky) are small stones or particles of cosmic substances. This sight can be seen on a clear night. A bright flash occurs when these pieces invade the earth's atmosphere. In certain periods, you can see and plentiful enchanting "star rain".
Ball lightning is one of the not entirely explainable mysterious phenomena. In addition to the shape of the ball, this lightning can take the shape of a pear, drop or mushroom. Its sizes vary from 5 cm to several meters. This phenomenon is characterized by rather unpredictable behavior and its short duration (several seconds).
Also in nature, such processes as the optical halo phenomenon, the formation of pearlescent and biconvex clouds (extremely rare), and even rainfall with living creatures (frog and fish rains) can occur.
What is a halo?
A halo is the most common optical phenomenon in the atmosphere, during which luminous circles around celestial bodies, “false suns”, various pillars and crosses appear in the sky.
In most cases, it is an ordinary light circle. At mid-latitudes, it can appear within a few days.
The emergence of a halo, unlike other processes, has a scientific justification.
The formation of an amazing light circle around the sun is due to the fact that the rays of the sun are refracted in the faces of ice crystals contained in clouds and fogs. There are solar halo and lunar.
Variety of shapes and types
In general, a halo is a certain group of phenomena in the atmosphere, namely optical ones.
The most common forms of halo, as noted above, are as follows:
- rainbow circles around the circumference of the disk of the moon or the sun with an angular radius of 22 ° and 46 °;
- “False Suns” (Parghelia) or simply bright spots (also iridescent) on both sides of the bodies at distances of 22 ° and 46 °;
- near-zenith arcs;
- pargel circles (white horizontal) that pass through the disk of the sun;
- poles (vertical parts of the white circle); they, in combination with pargel circles, form a white cross.
Rainbow halo are formed by the refraction of rays, and white - when they are reflected.
The halo phenomenon is sometimes confused with crowns. They are very similar in appearance, but the latter have a different origin - diffraction.
Description of the circle, varieties
Typically, halo arise in the form of rings around the sun. Moreover, the inner side of the ring is bright and painted in a slightly reddish color.
Then the color gradually turns into light yellow, then into greenish and even blue-violet, closer to the outer part of the circle.
Sometimes the circle is not completely visible, but only a part of it (most often the upper one).
There are also bright arcs touching the upper or lower part of the light circle.
A colorless circle appears quite rarely, extending across the disk of the moon or sun parallel to the horizon. And at the points of intersection of this circle with the halo, bright spots are often seen - these are “false suns". They are so luminous and bright that they are very reminiscent of the second sun.
Pillars and crosses, the nature of their occurrence
Halo is a phenomenal phenomenon of nature, acquiring the most bizarre forms. They are visible when there are light cirrus clouds between the observing person and the luminous planets, high, or when ice crystals are suspended in the air as separate elements having the correct shape (for example, in the form of a hexagonal prism).
Often there is a halo in the form of a vertical column when the planets illuminating the Earth are very close to the horizon (above or below it). Such forms are explained by the reflection of rays precisely from the horizontal faces of ice crystals in the air. On two sides of the sun, you can sometimes see two such pillars. They are part of the arc of the halo when the circle is only partially visible.
It also happens that the posts can intersect with a horizontal circle. In this case, light crosses may appear to the human eye.
Halo phenomena are very diverse. This is due to the huge number of forms of ice crystals and their most diverse arrangement in the air.
What do halo phenomena talk about? Omens
The appearance of various species and forms can tell about weather changes in the coming hours.
The appearance of a full rainbow circle (sometimes almost invisible) near the sun or moon, which occurs when there are cirrus layered clouds in the atmosphere, is most often a sign of the approach of a warm front, a cyclone. At the same time, windy weather is expected in about 12-20 hours. The brightness of the circle’s radiance weakens only when the clouds begin to thicken strongly.
There are white circles around the Sun (Moon), “false suns”, pillars without rainbow colors. In clear weather, such optical bodies arise. This phenomenon indicates continued stability and the preservation of quiet and sunny weather, and in winter - severe prolonged frosts.
Circles around luminaries in the form of a partial ring appear in unstable air masses, in areas of anticyclones (peripheral and rear). This means that the weather should be expected to be variable, with strong winds and rainfall.
Large diameter white circles, visible at an angle of 92 ° near the Sun or Moon, which occur precisely in winter, are signs of the presence of a powerful anticyclone or high pressure area near this territory. In such cases, the weather can be expected to be fairly stable, with light winds and severe frosts.
Many natural phenomena defy any scientifically based theories and explanations. People can only admire the beautiful seen.
Halo is an explainable and colorful natural phenomenon.