Moonbow?

[bascule]

Apparently many people in America are able to see a Moonbow right now:

 

http://search.twitter.com/search?q=moon+halo

[padren]

Based on the twitter messages, it seems they spotted a halo, to quote the article you linked:

 

A colored circle around the moon is not a moonbow—it is usually a 22° halo produced by refraction through hexagonal ice crystals in cirrus cloud. Colored rings close to the moon are a corona, a diffraction phenomenon produced by very small water droplets or ice crystals in clouds.

[A Tripolation]

I live near one of the only two spots in the world where you can see a moonbow (or so I'm told). It's in Kentucky, next to my hometown. I don't know why I've never been to see it...

Edited December 4, 2009 by A Tripolation

[insane_alien]

they are far more common than that.

 

they occur quite frequently but the low luminosity means the human eye is quite bad at detecting them. it won't pick up colour in them for instance.

 

long exposure photography will show the colours however.

i would be surprised if they are not as common as rainbows, and you can always create artificial ones with a hose and a thumb.

[A Tripolation]

Way to make me not feel special.

 

I always suspected that they were more common, but never knew the reason, and couldn't be bothered to google.

Thanks IA.