A Sun Halo over Utah
			
		
		
			Credit & Copyright:  
Doug Wilson
		
		
			Have you ever seen a halo around the Sun?  
This fairly common sight occurs when high thin clouds containing millions of tiny 
ice crystals cover much of the sky.  
Each 
ice crystal acts like a miniature lens.  
Because 
most of the crystals have a similar 
elongated hexagonal shape, light entering one crystal face and exiting 
through the opposing face refracts 22 
degrees, 
which corresponds to the radius of the Sun Halo.  
A similar Moon Halo 
may be visible during the night.  
The picture was taken in Gunlock, 
Utah, 
USA.
A flock of birds was caught by chance in the foreground.
Exactly how 
ice-crystals form in clouds remains under 
investigation.