Rainbow coloured ring around the moon - anyone know what it is?

I'm just wondering if there are any experts out there, who could tell me what the rainbow coloured ring I've been seeing around the full/fullish moon for the past 2 nights is?

It's not a lunar halo, I've seen a few lunar halos before and it's nothing like one of those. I've had a read up on moonbows, it's not that either.

The rainbow coloured ring was only visible when an area of cloud passed over or around the moon. If there was an area of clear sky around any part of the moon, the rainbow coloured ring seemed to dissapear but parts remained where the cloud remained.

My boyfriend joked that it could be all the rubbish from the BP oil spill in the air, but I'm wondering if there could actually be any truth to this?

Any ideas? It looked absolutely stunning and the clouds and the sky around it looked like a beautiful painting. I can't find anything online to tell me what it could be though, and no pictures on google either.

Thanks.

ice in the atmosphere i believe

curious.astro.cornell.edu...

pretty huh

light passing thru water vapor (clouds) creates rainbows.

s' nice, tho!

reply to post by KatieVA


Its the moon light shining through the water vapour in the clouds. Same effect as a rainbow with sun and rain! Looks pretty stunning, a perfect circle!

But aren't lunar halos just a ring of light and not a rainbow? As I said, I've seen a few lunar halos and it didn't look like that at all.

Actually it makes perfect sense if it appeared when clouds passed around the moon

Thanks for explaining it to me!

I'm looking forward to the lunar halos in the winter time, they're amazing

We've always just called them "moondogs".

A moon bow!
Lucky dog,wish I could see it.
I have seen them before.

Originally posted by KatieVA
Actually it makes perfect sense if it appeared when clouds passed around the moon

Thanks for explaining it to me!

I'm looking forward to the lunar halos in the winter time, they're amazing

Mee too, especially on a snow covered night!

In folklore a ring around the moon signifies bad weather is coming, Haha. But they are very pretty to look at, Lucky that you got to see it more than one night

reply to post by KatieVA


I see spectrum colours in a circle around any white/bright lights including the Moon. Maybe you're seeing something similar?

This is interesting to me for two reasons. When we had the big lunar eclipse in December, there was a halo around the moon that filled the entire sky. I looked this up on the internet and found that ice crystals making a gossamer type halo. This is not what is interesting to me. The part that impressed me is that all states in the nation saw the same thing. On the internet that night, there were people all over the US stating that they saw the same thing.

For the last two nights, I have been seeing the same rainbow halo you mention. I live in Missouri. It would be interesting to triangulate others around the US who have seen this and find out how widespread it appears.

Folklore on these halos states that bad weather is coming when a halo is spotted. The number of stars that appear inside the halo indicate how many days of bad weather are coming.

LINK

Originally posted by iamahumandoing
reply to post by KatieVA

 

I see spectrum colours in a circle around any white/bright lights including the Moon. Maybe you're seeing something similar?

It's funny you say that, because the manfriend said he couldn't see the rainbow circle that I was seeing. I asked him if he's colour blind because I couldn't understand how he couldn't see it - to me it was really clear and vibrant.

I sometimes see faint rainbow colours in my field of vision. Any ideas why you get them?

reply to post by KatieVA


I believe it is ice in the atmosphere refracting the light, same as a rainbow basically.

I was watching your avatar KatieVA for like 10 mins none stop it's awesome.

Originally posted by SuperiorEd

This is interesting to me for two reasons. When we had the big lunar eclipse in December, there was a halo around the moon that filled the entire sky. I looked this up on the internet and found that ice crystals making a gossamer type halo. This is not what is interesting to me. The part that impressed me is that all states in the nation saw the same thing. On the internet that night, there were people all over the US stating that they saw the same thing.

For the last two nights, I have been seeing the same rainbow halo you mention. I live in Missouri. It would be interesting to triangulate others around the US who have seen this and find out how widespread it appears.

Folklore on these halos states that bad weather is coming when a halo is spotted. The number of stars that appear inside the halo indicate how many days of bad weather are coming.

LINK

Very interesting. I'm in the UK though and not the US!

It will be windy tomorrow.


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reply to post by KatieVA


It is possible your third eye may be becoming more active, that's what I'm think I'm experiencing. I also get breathing walls, and 'tides' on patterned/busy surfaces and floors. Can be quite entertaining at times.

Do you get any other visual disturbances?

Hi KatieVA,
Thanks for posting this, I saw it too and wondered what would be causing it. I watched for a while and noticed when the clouds parted that the moon seemed so much brighter than usual. Quite beautiful

S&F

Originally posted by iamahumandoing
reply to post by KatieVA

 

It is possible your third eye may be becoming more active, that's what I'm think I'm experiencing. I also get breathing walls, and 'tides' on patterned/busy surfaces and floors. Can be quite entertaining at times.

Do you get any other visual disturbances?

edit on 11/9/11 by iamahumandoing because: (no reason given)

I have been experiencing those things for a while now, also double vision and flashes (like the flashes you see when a bright light hits a diamond) and colours are brighter/more vivid. Had a neurology consult a few days ago and she says it's most likely a form of migraine that is becoming quite common. It sounds feasible to me.

reply to post by KatieVA


A lunar corona is a slightly different phenomena, but related to ice halos, of which the 22º is the most frequently seen lunar halo. That would be my guess based on your description. They are quite common, and often seen when thin clouds pass in front of the moon.