Bengaluru witnesses rare ‘22 degree circular halo’ around Sun

The people in #Bengaluru witnessed a bright ring around the sun for a few minutes on Monday morning, a rare optical and atmospheric phenomenon called ‘22 degree circular halo’. @IndianExpress

Express Photos by @DarshanDevaiahB pic.twitter.com/rOxSIxfOaf

— Express Bengaluru (@IEBengaluru) May 24, 2021

Not just residents of the city, even celebrities and politicians shared different angles of photos of the Halo around the sun. PC Mohan, Lok Sabha member from Bengaluru Central constituency, shared three photos of the sun halo on Twitter saying ‘Stunning #SunHalo in #Bengaluru.’

Stunning #SunHalo in #Bengaluru. pic.twitter.com/LuCBK5f7HO

— P C Mohan (@PCMohanMP) May 24, 2021

Samyukta Hornad, a Kannada actress also tweeted a few photos of Sun Halo and said, “A rainbow-like halo has encircled the sun in a perfect circle right now. Call it magic, call it true :) The phenomenon is called a halo n happens because of light interacting with ice crystals in the atmosphere. Owing to its radius around the sun. (sic)”

A rainbow-like halo has encircled the sun in a perfect circle right now.
Call it magic, call it true :)

The phenomenon is called a halo n happens because of light interacting with ice crystals in the atmosphere. Owing to its radius around the sun
☀️ 🌈 ⛅️ 😇#Bangalore #Sun 🤍 pic.twitter.com/QVnM44y1rS

— Samyukta Hornad (@samyuktahornad) May 24, 2021

The phenomenon popularly known as the 22 degree circular halo of the sun or occasionally the Moon (also called a moon ring or winter halo), occurs when the sun’s or moon’s rays get deflected/refracted through the hexagonal ice crystals present in cirrus clouds.