Huge black circle around the moon

Hi ATS

I am currently in Reading, England and the time is 10:44pm GMT.

I live in a quiet Village just on the outskirts of town so I usually get a good clear look at the stars when I park my car in the cark park. Tonight I've looked up at the moon and there is a HUGE black circle around the moon and then a bright ring of light around the edge of the black circle.

I've never seen anything quite like it so I am just wondering if anyone can tell me what causes this and if it happens often? It's just like I said I have never seen the moon like this before and it looks amazing.

I've tried taking pictures but unfortunately I only have a camera on my Blackberry and it doesn't come out at all.

Any answers would be much appreciated.

Thanks

p.s MODS - I wasn't sure where to post this so please feel free to move it. Thanks.

reply to post by Bridge_Boy


It's usually means a storm is on the way.

The official meaning: The ring around the Moon is caused by the refraction of Moonlight (which of course is reflected sunlight) from ice crystals in the upper atmosphere.


BTW- To take a good picture the aperture needs to be open for longer to catch the light in the darkness. I suggest using a tripod too if you have one because when the aperture is open longer the camera has to be still or the picture will be blurry

reply to post by mileslong54


Storm? :-(

There has been very bad weather in Scotland and the north of England so maybe it's moving down here?

Thanks for your response.

Its called Moon Halo, light reflects from tiny ice particles. They are common during winter.

Here are some moon halo pictures:
Moon Halo

Farmers`and seamen would tell you it will be a very cold if not frosty night. Never heard the ring associated with a storm though.
Rainbows
Jane

Originally posted by Thebel
Its called Moon Halo, light reflects from tiny ice particles. They are common during winter.

Here are some moon halo pictures:
Moon Halo

edit on 8-12-2011 by Thebel because: (no reason given)

Yep, looks exactly like the first picture. First time I have ever seen one. Looks beautiful and so clear.

Thanks for the link.

Originally posted by angelchemuel
Farmers`and seamen would tell you it will be a very cold if not frosty night. Never heard the ring associated with a storm though.
Rainbows
Jane

Do you know if this is fairly common then? In my 30 years, I don't ever recall seeing it before.

Originally posted by angelchemuel
Farmers`and seamen would tell you it will be a very cold if not frosty night. Never heard the ring associated with a storm though.
Rainbows
Jane

Moon halos are caused by tiny ice crystals that have gathered twenty thousand feet above the ground, as thin, wispy clouds. These clouds are so thin, you might not notice them at night, if it weren’t for their effect on the moonlight. Incoming light rays from the moon are bent, or diffracted, by these ice crystals at an angle of 22 degrees.

This means that in addition to the direct moonlight, you will also see diffracted moonlight in a circle 22 degrees away from the moon. This is about the distance of your fist, held at arm’s length.

Like a rainbow, this halo can even be slightly colored; red on the inside, and blue on the outside.

Yes, it can mean that rain or snow is coming soon. Those high, wispy clouds could be the forerunners of storm clouds right behind them.

indianapublicmedia.org...

Originally posted by Bridge_Boy

Originally posted by angelchemuel
Farmers`and seamen would tell you it will be a very cold if not frosty night. Never heard the ring associated with a storm though.
Rainbows
Jane

Do you know if this is fairly common then? In my 30 years, I don't ever recall seeing it before.

well the idea has always worked for me! mind you, you can get frosty nights when there is no halo...but this is usually when the moon isn't full. I was brought up on Anglesey, and I come from a very long line of seafearers...so I grew up with a lot of 'old wives tales' which I have to say are never far off the mark.

Rainbows
Jane

Considering what we saw in 2001 A space Odyssey, which was made in 1968, I no longer believe the moon is without human presence. I do not have any proofs, but I have a feeling that there are things going on there, even man living there.

In Call of Duty black ops, there is a map which is called moon where you can clearly see a base. Inside of it, guess what there is ? A big german digging machine like the following:


Huge german trencher

Link for more information and pictures.

This is a bit of speculation, yesssssssss, but if one wants to dig futher more, there are more and more hidden pieces going toward this. I am not saying this is absolute truth, but plenty of evidence is on the field for the curious one.

Who REALLY is NASA anyway, who owns the famous North America Space Agency.

This is key info to understand just the tip of the iceberg concerning what can be going on.




Just some thought,





Thruthseek3r

reply to post by thruthseek3r



How does that answer the OP's question at all?
Btw:

North America Space Agency.

It is National Aeronautics and Space Agency
lol


OP: Here in St. Louis we see moon halos fairly often in winter months.

reply to post by thruthseek3r

In Call of Duty black ops, there is a map which is called moon where you can clearly see a base. Inside of it, guess what there is ? A big german digging machine like the followin

Call of Duty is a computer game isn't it?........computer games aren't real are they?

What the OP'er describes is, as has been pointed out earlier, ice crystals in the atmosphere, simply the prelude to colder weather.....as has been forecasted by the met office.

reply to post by Bridge_Boy


An Old Wives tail I've often heard says that a ring around the moon, such as you describe, usually means some type of precipitation will occur within the next 36 hours. Isn't your area supposed to be getting hit with winter storms soon? If so, I'd say this is the reason for the ring. We get them a lot during the winter, here in Kentucky. I think they're pretty.

Originally posted by angelchemuel
Farmers`and seamen would tell you it will be a very cold if not frosty night. Never heard the ring associated with a storm though.
Rainbows
Jane

I've heard the same as angelchemuel has, and again never heard it used in conjunction with a storm, but hey theres every possibility that its true.

Saw a tiny one last night round the moon which was suprising considering I've only ever seen one round a full moon, and today we had hurricane Bawbag so again with the storm maybe being associated.

reply to post by thruthseek3r


I have to agree with you about the moon but unfortunately it's not very welcome topic on ATS as debunkers will go on the attack here about that subject, there are though a lot of good readings about that topic.

reply to post by Chamberf=6


The answer I gave was what I thought it could be because I truly believe something is going on the moon but this is downplayed. Do not ask me for proof I can not and if I could, well ... the government would not do its job properly.

Concerning my mistake about NASA but still my argument remains.


When I read the title I thought black circle ON the moon, not AROUND, which is why I answered this way.

I am no expert to this kind of phenomena, and have no idea what it could be.

Concerning ON the moon, is a whole other thing though.





Thruthseek3r

reply to post by Argyll


Saying it is a video does not mean that everything it contains is 100 % fiction. It is only one side of the coin. It is one little grain of sand on a beach related to how many infos are available concerning this.

Neither it does say 100% truth, but to be honest, I believe real stuff is happening out there. If 2001 A Space Odyssey was released in 1968, then considering how fast are technological development, 2011 can mean a lot. What is known is nothing compared to what is hidden.

Sadly too many taboos, and hopefully, mass revelation of these to the masses one day it will for sure.





Thruthseek3r

reply to post by mileslong54


Well this is the weird thing here on this site. I sometimes feel like many people discredit easily such a possibility. Furthermore, promoting ignorance based on avoiding fear is wrong in my honest opinion. I know one day this will change, but fear of pain by acquiring knowledge/truth should be.

Um, you do know, I hope, that the met office has issued a "severe storm warning" for the next 24hrs, I hope.

www.metoffice.gov.uk...

So this phenomenon is entirely expected.

I thought NASA stood for Never A Straight Answer

OK...sorry, first cuppa of the morning...haven't woken up properly yet!

Rainbows
Jane