Big Red Ring Around the Moon Tonight!

I am in NOrthwest GA, almost to Tennessee, and it is 5:20 am, I went out and looked and there is a giant red halo or ring around the moon, it absolutely looks wicked! Anybody else seeing this?

pictures would be nice

I have never seen a red ring around the moon, can you post an image of it? It sounds like a beautiful sight!

Perhaps the red ring is caused by this phenomena:

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 twenty-two degrees. This means that in addition to the direct moonlight, you will also see diffracted moonlight in a circle twenty-two 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.

Link: amos.indiana.edu...

What a great excuse to use my telescope for viewing astronomical bodies instead of my neighbors windows.

Thanks for the heads up. It would be cool to see a red ring around the moon. Ice or not.

reply to post by guppy


Thanks Guppy, sorry I had no pics to put up, I am at work and no camera! I have every intention of bringing one, but mine is a dinasour (2.0) and will not take a picture for some reason right now, the button goes down but no picture. Oh well, it was a beautiful sight, and a first for me, not sure what caused it but I am lucky to have caught a look at it, I hoped to share it with others, that's the breaks though working at night, not many people up to share with!

reply to post by space cadet


I'm in Ottawa, Canada. It 3:00 am Sat morning (June 21) and yes, there's a beautiful red ring around the moon, forming the outer edge of a white ring. amazing!

moongirl

I also saw this in Malta a couple of days ago. It looked strange!!!

Well the ring is around the moon again tonight, I am wondering who else is seeing this, I looked up storms this year to see if they are related but no storms hit the US in June.