SIGNS IN THE HEAVENS: Weather Phenomenon - Sun Halo Captured Over Jersey Shore, New Jersey!

Justin Louis

April 22, 2016 - NEW JERSEY, UNITED STATES - If you've been out and about enjoying this beautiful spring day in Ocean County and happened to look up, you may have noticed the distinct rings around the sun.

So what are they?

We wanted to find out!

While it's nice and warm here on the ground at the Jersey Shore, the upper atmosphere is pretty cold. Cold enough for there to be ice crystals up there.

On a day like today, the conditions are just right to refract the Sun's rays through the ice crystals, causing the halo effect.

It's called a 22° halo, from the fact that the ring appears to be, "...within a radius of approximately 22° around the Sun".

It's actually pretty common, but on days like today, it's more obvious than others. - WOBM - 92.7.

SIGNS IN THE HEAVENS: Weather Phenomenon - Stunning Sun Halo Filmed Over Wirral, England!

April 22, 2016 - ENGLAND - This beautiful Sun Halo was spotted over Wirral today by regular weather contributor Kirsty Bakstad.

The sun halo was spotted as the region enjoyed a second day of sunny weather as Merseyside recorded a top temperature of 15.1C.


WATCH: Sun Halo over Wirral.

Although yesterday was hotter on Merseyside, today was officially the hottest day of the year for the UK, as Porthmadog in Wales enjoyed temperatures of 20.3C.

However, the recent warm weather will be short lived, as Arctic air will bring back the chillier weather in time for the weekend.

Wrap up warm! A cold plunge for the UK this weekend and continuing into next week https://t.co/I6aoncQMhZ
— Met Office (@metoffice) April 21, 2016

Sun Halos are caused when light interacts with ice crystals suspended in the atmosphere.

The crystals bend direct sunlight, dispersing the light into colours and projecting it elsewhere into the sky, at a usual 22 degree angle a halo can be seen around the sun.

They often do mean that rain is going to fall within the next 24 hours as the cirrostratus clouds that cause them can signify an approaching frontal system. - Wirral Weather.

SIGNS IN THE HEAVENS: Weather Phenomenon - Enormous Halo Seen Around The Moon In Horsham, Australia!

© Lynton Brown

April 15, 2016 - AUSTRALIA - Lynton Brown caught this 22-degree lunar halo this week and posted it to EarthSky Facebook.

We see many, many photos of this type of halo - both around the sun and moon - which happen all over the world due to the presence of ice crystals in high cirrus clouds.

Les Cowley of the website Atmospheric Optics wrote:

... 22-degree radius halos are visible all over the world and throughout the year.

Look out for them (eye care!) whenever the sky is wisped or hazed with thin cirrus clouds.

These clouds are cold and contain ice crystals in even the hottest climes.

The halo is large. Stretch out the fingers of your hand at arms length.

The tips of the thumb and little finger then subtend roughly 20 degrees.

Place your thumb over the the sun [or moon] and the halo will be near the little finger tip.

Thank you Lynton, for sharing this with us!

- Earth Sky.

SIGNS IN THE HEAVENS: Weather Phenomenon - Triple Sun Dog Appears Over Kazan, Russia!

Sundogs appear as duplicate suns in the sky over a Russian city.© Newsflare

March 17, 2016 - RUSSIA - A rare optical illusion giving the appearance of three suns in the sky was caught on camera over a Russian city where ice crystals gathered in the atmosphere.

The video shows what appears to be three suns in the sky over the city of Kazan, but the "suns" to the left and right of the middle star are actually optical illusions known as "sundogs."

A sundog is created when the light from the sun is reflected by ice crystals in the atmosphere.

The triple sun, recorded in January, featured illusion suns much larger than those recorded in December over Winnipeg, Manitoba, following a large snow storm. - UPI.

 

SIGNS IN THE HEAVENS: Weather Phenomenon - Circumhorizontal Arc And Solar Halo Adorn The Skies In Paraguay! [PHOTOS + VIDEO]

© Rodrigo Villamayor

March 16, 2016 - PARAGUAY - This Sunday two atmospheric phenomena beautified the Paraguayan sky. They were a solar halo and circumhorizontal arc or cloud of fire. Despite their rarity, they are natural optical effects.

The phenomenon was captured by several people on Sunday in different departments of our country, which had a colorful morning thanks to the beautiful weather phenomenon that was shared on social networks.

© Eduardo Villalba

Both the solar halo and the circumhorizontal arc atmospheric optical phenomena are produced by the behavior of the Sun with clouds. The first, also called Antelia or iris ring, is produced by the reflection of light of the sun on the ice crystal clouds. For its part, the circumhorizontal arc, also called rainbow of fire, occurs only when the sun is high in the sky, at least 58 ° above the horizon.

The difference in the common rainbow is that it is shorter, thicker and not caused by the refraction of light in water droplets, but through ice crystals in clouds.


WATCH: Stunning solar halo in Paraguay.

- Ultima Hora.

 

SIGNS IN THE HEAVENS: Weather Phenomenon - Unusual Jellyfish-Like Clouds Appear In Chile Skies?!

Altocumulus Castellanus clouds. © Cristian Carvajal

 March 13, 2016 - CHILE - Rare clouds in the shape of jellyfish have baffled many skywatchers after being spotted in the sky of Chile on March 12, 2016.

The unusual clouds known as Altocumulus Castellanus have a unique shape complete with tentacles and may announce bad weather coming in... Or the next big quake?

Weather-watchers were stunned when these rare but weird clouds appeared in the skies above Punitaqui, Limari, Ovalle, Coquimbo and La Serena, Chile in the evening sun.

Although these jellyfish certainly prove a stunning sight, they however signify danger up ahead and stormy weather may soon close in.

© Cristian Carvajal

© Cristian Carvajal

The rare clouds' unique "jellyfish" shape forms when moist air gets trapped between layers of dry air.

The top of the cloud rises into a jellyfish shape and long tentacles known as "trailing virga" form from rain drops that have evaporated.

They are a spectacular sight and look like bobbing jellyfish. They are a very, very rare sight.

These probably developed as a result of recent tropical storms in the Pacific. So that may be where all this moisture has come from...

And these clouds may well be signalling some stormy weather for next week. - Strange Sounds.

SIGNS IN THE HEAVENS: Plasma Discharge Event - Mysterious Glowing Cloud Appears Near Light Pillars In Ukhta, Russia?! [VIDEO]

© Screenshot via VK Alexander Ivanov

March 13, 2016 - RUSSIA - A UFO flying down to Earth? A fireball disintegrating in the skies? A space rocket flying a satellite onto orbit?

So what's this weird light illuminating the sky on March 13, 2016 at 22:05 from Ukhta, Russia?

I have tried to contact my green friends from Mars but nobody has answered yet.

Although this could be a fireball, the flight is too hell and too slow to be a meteor.


WATCH: Mysterious light glow over Russia.

On March 13 2016, at 21:56, a Soyuz-2.1b rocket launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome with the ExoMars Mission to Mars.

The images and video show the separation of the third stage from Ukhta, Russia, just about 10 minutes after start.

By the way, did you see the light pillars on the right side of the video and pictures by Alexander Ivanov? - Strange Sounds.

SIGNS IN THE HEAVENS: Weather Phenomenon - "RARE" Light Pillars Spotted In The Sky Over South Wales!

© Allan Trow/Dark Sky Wales

March 12, 2016 - WALES - An experienced astronomer says he has caught on camera the "very rare" sight of light pillars in the night sky above south Wales. The phenomenon, caused by atmospheric ice crystals reflecting light, was captured by Allan Trow above Rhigos mountain, Rhondda Cynon Taff.

He said light pillars were more common in polar regions. Mr Trow, who has been stargazing for 20 years, said the sighting on Friday night was "spectacular". The director of astronomy education company Dark Sky Wales was on the mountain near Treherbert with two other experienced astronomers and a group of amateur stargazers when the bright lights appeared at about 21:50 GMT.

He said they lasted at least 90 seconds, long enough for the astronomers to take a number of photographs.

"Between the three astronomers there, we have 80 years experience but it was the first time we had seen anything like it," said Mr Trow.

"We immediately went onto Facebook and Twitter and consulted with our astronomy friends to see what they could be. We discounted ideas such as as aurora and a meteor. But the conditions were right for light pillars.

"We were astonished. I've seen pictures of them from Scandinavia and Alaska but nothing from the UK."

He said his fellow astronomers believed the light reflected in the light pillars - which were visible to the naked eye - could have come from the Port Talbot steelworks which are just over the other side of the mountain.

The phenomenon comes in the same week stargazers across Wales saw the Aurora Borealis - better known as the Northern Lights. - BBC News.

SIGNS IN THE HEAVENS: Weather Phenomenon - Fire-Breathing Dragon Cloud Appears In The Sky Over Scotland!

A giant rain cloud against the sunset made for an incredible scene above Edinburgh. Photo: Caters News Agency

March 11, 2016 - SCOTLAND - A dazzling cloud formation over the skies of Edinburgh has been likened to a Klingon ship, a fire-breathing dragon and even the hand of God.

Tom Foster, a 26-year-old physician, was photographing the Scottish capital when he captured the brilliant scene above.

“When I first saw the cloud I knew it looked spectacular but it wasn’t until after I took the picture and looked at it on my camera that I started to see the unusual shape it made,” said the amateur shutterbug, who posted the image on Facebook.

“What I see most often is the ‘hand of God’ like quite a lot of other people do. I’m not incredibly religious so not sure about the God bit but can certainly see the hand,” he told Caters News. “But then I can also see the dragon’s head and neck. It looks like it is breathing fire.

“I love the picture because everyone sees something different in it. I’ve had hundreds of comments and messages from people suggesting different things,” he added. - NY Post.


Several weeks ago, glowing polar stratospheric clouds were spotted floating over Murmansk, Aberdeen and Stoneheaven by other lucky stargazers.

© Martin via Meteo Europe

© Martin via Meteo Europe

© Lindsay via Biserka Anderson

The mother-of-pearl clouds appeared in the sky before sunrise and were highly glowing and reflective.

Polar stratospheric clouds form in the winter polar stratosphere between altitudes of 15000-25000 meters.

They are best observed during twilight and form at very low temperatures, below -78°C.

 

SIGNS IN THE HEAVENS: Increase In Weird Weather Phenomenon As Magnetic Polar Migration Escalates - Spectacular Mammatus Clouds And Fiery Red Skies Photographed Over Santos Brazil! [PHOTOS + VIDEO]

I loved the late afternoon. © Meire Ruiz

March 7, 2016 - SANTOS, BRAZIL - These stunningly spectacular fiery red mammatus clouds engulfed the sunset skies of Santos, Brazil during the months of February and March.

The photos were taken by Meire Ruiz and posted on her Facebook page. 

Mammatus are pouch-like clouds that protrude down from the bottom of a thunderstorm's anvil cloud.

The storm's anvil consists of ice crystals but, as it spreads out at the top of a thunderstorm, some of the ice begins falling and cools the clear air below.

Despite popular misconception, mammatus clouds usually are an indication severe weather has passed and thunderstorms are weakening.

They are not a sign that a tornado is about to form.

However, mammatus clouds sometimes form on the upwind, or backside, of severe thunderstorms that at the same time are dropping large hail and unleashing 60-70 mph bursts of wind.

Raining fire in the north to sunset in the west. Last rays of sun coloring the rainwater. © Meire Ruiz

Sunset creating these wonderful landscapes. © Meire Ruiz

A small group and mammatus cloud. © Meire Ruiz

Good night. Another beautiful sunset. © Meire Ruiz

Good night. Another beautiful sunset. © Meire Ruiz

Storms have to have wicked updrafts of rising air, probably moving at 75-100 mph, to spread an anvil into the steering winds in the first place as a thunderstorm's anvil cloud naturally and easily spreads with the wind.

But, in most cases, mammatus can be found beneath the anvils of dying thunderstorms.

Here a good scientific article about the mysteries of mammatus clouds.


WATCH: Mindblowing cloud formations over Brazil.

SIGNS IN THE HEAVENS: Weather Phenomena - Rare Sun Dogs Seen Over Calama And Antofagasta, Chile! [PHOTOS]

First sundogs appeared. © Alerta Roja/Facebook

February 18, 2016 - CHILE - Rare sundogs accompanied by a reverse rainbow stunned residents of Calama and Antofagasta, Chile on February 17, 2016.

As if the parhelia was smiling at us from the sky. So we have seen three different kinds of atmospheric phenomena in these pictures...

Sundogs or parhelia which consists of a pair of bright spots on either side on the Sun. Circumzenithal arc which is an optical phenomenon similar in appearance to a reverse rainbow.

Then a circumzenithal arc appeared over the parhelia. © Alerta Roja/Facebook

First sundogs appeared.  © Alerta Roja/Facebook

On top as well as below the tripping star. Is that a circumhorizontal arc? © Facebook

Here another more colorful picture of this circumhorizontal arc over Antofagasta.  © Facebook

© Facebook

And again some iridescent clouds. Or I believe them to be a circumhorizontal arc. What about you?  © Facebook

And finally a circumhorizontal arc which in its full form appear like a large, brightly spectrum-coloured band running parallel to the horizon, located below the Sun or Moon.

All these sky phenomena are members of a large family of halos, created by light interacting with ice crystals or rain in the atmosphere. - Strange Sounds.

SIGNS IN THE HEAVENS: Stunning Weather Phenomena In Ontario, Canada - "Sun Dog" Sparkles Along Orangeville Skyline And Morning "Sun Dog" Captures Attention Of Residents In Caledon! [PHOTOS]

Local photographer Rose Knott managed to capture an image of a sun dog near Mono early Saturday morning (Feb. 13).© Rose Knott

February 15, 2016 - ONTARIO, CANADA - Mother Nature has treated residents in the Orangeville area to a relatively uncommon atmospheric phenomenon only seen a few times every year.

After a band of snow squalls moved through Dufferin County last night, the skies cleared to reveal a parhelion — informally nicknamed a sun dog — near Mono early Saturday morning (Feb. 13).

Local photographer Rose Knott managed to capture an image of the uncommon occurrence early Saturday morning.

"I've never seen a sun dog. It was just so exciting to me," she posted on Facebook. "Just felt so thrilled to capture this."

Sun dogs are formed when sunlight refracts off ice crystals in the atmosphere, creating bright spots on either side of the sun. In some cases, a rainbow-shaped halo can be seen connecting these bright pillars beside the sun.

"It is more the ice crystals high up in the atmosphere that create the phenomena," Environment Canada meteorologist Geoff Coulson told The Banner last year. "When those ice crystals reflect the sunlight at a certain angle, it can form these sun dogs."

Cold air isn't a preamble to a sundog, as Coulson said they could appear pretty much year round. They usually occur in the morning when the sun is rising or when it is setting in the evening.

"What you're really looking for is relatively cloud free conditions," Coulson said. "To be able to view it, you really would had to be within sort of the breaks in the flurry activity to actually see the sun and the phenomena itself." - Orangeville Banner.

Morning 'sun dog' captures attention of residents in Caledon, Ontario

© Lori Makarewicz

Residents across Caledon were looking to the skies Thursday morning (Feb. 11) as a unique 'sun dog' cast a spherical glow on the landscape.

"It certainly was a beautiful sight this morning, wasn't it?" local resident, Lori Makarewicz said to The Enterprise. "I have never seen one like that before. I almost got frostbite by standing out in my sandals on the front lawn, didn't want to waste any time looking for my boots in case I missed it!"

According to Environment Canada meteorologist, Rebecca Wagner, "sun dogs" which are also classified as parhelion, halos, or "mock suns," are an optical effect caused by the refraction of sunlight by ice crystals in the atmosphere.

"In particular this morning we had a very well developed halo around the sun with two bands with bright spots on either side of the sun, at about the same elevation," she continued.

© Gordon Bentley

While they technically occur any time of the year, sun dogs appear more vividly in the winter due to the combination of ice crystals in the atmosphere and the low angle of the sun in the sky - and even still, are usually only spotted about two to three times a year.

As the sun rises in the sky, the halo diminishes as the angle of the light hitting the ice crystals changing. Bolton resident, Craig Kellough, spotted the unique optical effect over the North Hill of town.

"I was driving into Bolton around 9 a.m. when I saw this spectacular scene in the sky surrounding the sun," he said. "I had to pull over and take as many shots as I could. It was something I had never seen before."

According to Wagner, with the chilly temperatures and clear skies predicted for this weekend, there might be another in store for those who missed Thursday morning's display. - Caledon Enterprise.

SIGNS IN THE HEAVENS: Weather Phenomenon - RARE "Light Pillars" Seen Over Fairbanks, Alaska!

Image Credit & Copyright: Allisha Libby

February 8, 2016 - FAIRBANKS, ALASKA - What's happening behind those houses?

Pictured here are not auroras but nearby light pillars, a nearby phenomenon that can appear as a distant one.

In most places on Earth, a lucky viewer can see a Sun-pillar, a column of light appearing to extend up from the Sun caused by flat fluttering ice-crystals reflecting sunlight from the upper atmosphere.

Usually these ice crystals evaporate before reaching the ground.

Image Credit & Copyright: Allisha Libby

Image Credit & Copyright: Allisha Libby

During freezing temperatures, however, flat fluttering ice crystals may form near the ground in a form of light snow, sometimes known as a crystal fog.

These ice crystals may then reflect ground lights in columns not unlike a Sun-pillar.

The featured image was taken in Fort Wainwright near Fairbanks in central Alaska.

- NASA.

SIGNS IN THE HEAVENS: Weather Phenomenon - Glowing "Mother Of Pearl" Clouds Color Scotland's Skies!

© Paul via Meteo Europe

January 31, 2016 - SCOTLAND - These glowing polar stratospheric clouds were spotted floating over the UK on January 29, 2016.

That's the second sighting in two days after those spotted over Murmansk on Wednesday morning.

These nacreous clouds were captured from Aberdeen to Stoneheaven, Scotland, UK by lucky stargazers.

© Martin via Meteo Europe

© Martin via Meteo Europe

© Lindsay via Biserka Anderson

The mother-of-pearl clouds appeared in the sky before sunrise and were highly glowing and reflective.

Polar stratospheric clouds form in the winter polar stratosphere between altitudes of 15000-25000 meters.

They are best observed during twilight and form at very low temperatures, below -78°C.

Polar stratospheric clouds also known as #nacreous clouds amazing what you see out your window in the morning pic.twitter.com/QWUQliU0Gy

— Glen J Beaton (@wickfisher) January 29, 2016

Polar Stratospheric Clouds observed as skies cleared in between bands of showers. Looking S from near #Aberdeen pic.twitter.com/UGOzUmsEPI

— Stephane Gentile (@FrenchScotPilot) January 29, 2016

And here some more from Twitter: So intense.

They are also called nacreous clouds in relation to the colours seen on the inside of an oyster shell. - Strange Sounds.

SIGNS IN THE HEAVENS: Weather Phenomenon - "Fire Rainbow" Appears In The Skies Over Auckland, New Zealand!

The phenomenon is also known as a circumhorizontal arc or "ice halo". Photo / Supplied, Rachel Purcell

January 30, 2016 - NEW ZEALAND - If you looked to the sky on Friday, you might have glimpsed a "fire rainbow".

Rachel Purcell sent this picture to the Herald after being lucky enough to see it while in the Viaduct on Auckland's waterfront. "I was so pleased my camera captured the moment," she said.

MetService meteorologist Ciaran Doolin said the phenomenon was known as a circumhorizontal arc, or "ice halo".

He could not say how statistically frequent they were, but said the weather service occasionally got calls from the public about them.

Website IFL Science says the arc occurs when the sun has risen higher than 58 degrees in the sky, which is most common over summer.

"Aside from the position of the sun, the other ingredient to forming circumhorizontal arcs is cirrus clouds. Cirrus clouds are the thin, wispy clouds that occur at higher altitudes. Because the temperature is so low where these clouds exist, they are made of ice crystals."

The plate-like crystals then act like prisms and refract light to create the rainbow and so are sometimes called "fire rainbows". - New Zealand Herald.

SIGNS IN THE HEAVENS: Weather Phenomenon - Stunning Sun Halo Appears In The Sky Over Wuhan, China! [PHOTOS]

January 29, 2016 -WUHAN, CHINA - Residents of a regional Chinese town were left amazed by a huge, bright solar halo which seemed to crown a Buddhist temple monument.

The naturally-occurring marvel appeared above the Guiyuan Buddhist Temple in Wuhan, central China, on January 26 and lit up the sky with its colours, according to a report from People's Daily Online.

The rare 'Buddha's halo', which appears like a circular rainbow, rendered local people awe-struck and gazing up into the atmosphere.

Chinese social media lit up when a similar phenomenon appeared above Beijing in September 2015, with many not understanding it.

Solar halos, also known as 'sundogs' or 'mock suns', are caused by bright sunlight refracting through thin Cirrostratus clouds in the sky.

The official given name is 'pathelia' and the spectacle begins to be formed when rays of light pass through ice crystals 20,000 feet up. - Daily Mail.

SIGNS IN THE HEAVENS: Is This The Hand Of God - Incredible Cloud Formation Above Portugal Looks Like A Fist From Heaven?! [PHOTOS]

The unusual cloud formation that was spotted over the Portuguese island of Madeira, which has been compared to the 'Hand of God'

January 28, 2016 - PORTUGAL - An incredible cloud formation which appeared over the skies of Portugal has been dubbed the 'hand of God'.

The cloud took the form of a fist from Heaven with a hand holding a fireball as it dominated the skyline across the island of Madeira on Monday. 

And weather blogger Rogerio Pacheco, 32, could not believe his luck when he looked up at the clouds while commuters made their way to work in the morning rush hour.

Weather blogger Rogerio Pacheco could not believe his luck when he looked up at the cloud while commuters made their way to work in the morning rush hour

Amazed onlookers have compared the bright orange cloud to everything from a flaming fist of fury to the iconic
comet featured in the classic video game Final Fantasy VII

The awe-inspiring snaps have since been shared online after Mr Pacheco opted to post them on his blog.

Amazed onlookers have compared the bright orange cloud to everything from a flaming fist of fury to the iconic comet featured in the classic video game Final Fantasy VII.

Mr Pachero said: 'As soon as I saw the sky, I was immediately intrigued and I just had to grab my camera to take photo.'  - Daily Mail.

SIGNS IN THE HEAVENS: Weather Phenomenon - Bright Halo Seen Around The Sun In Stockholm, Sweden And Cape Cod, Massachusetts!

Sun halo over Cape Cod.

January 23, 2016 - SWEDEN / UNITED STATES - A massive winter storm is barreling up the east coast of the United States. Heralding the storm's advance, icy clouds are wafting over some states, producing spectacular halos around the sun. Chris Cook photographed the specimen from Cape Cod, Massachusetts, on January 22nd.

These luminous structures around the sun are caused by sunlight shining through ice crystals in "the high cloud shield of this weekend's east coast winter storm," says Cook. "It was a nice display including a 46° halo, 22° halo, a pair of sundogs, a parhelic circle, an upper tangent arc and a Parry arc. A circumzenithal arc was also visible but off the top of the frame in this horizontal panorama."

Observers along the storm track should be alert for such halos before the opaque snow clouds arrive. Ice halos can appear not only around the sun, but also around the full Moon. According to folklore, this weekend's full Moon is the "Wolf Moon." However, "Storm Moon" might be more apropos. - Space Weather.


A halo is seen around the sun in Stockholm, Sweden on January 22nd 2016.

© Reuters/Marcus Ericsson

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