Igothawked
Well-Known Member
I saw it here in eastern Iowa. Really big ring. Pretty neat looking but have no idea what the heck it is.
ring around the moon
- Thread starter nico
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NewMexHawk
Well-Known Member
Moondogs...from Wikipedia:
A moon dog or moondog (scientific name paraselene, plural paraselenae, i.e. "beside the moon") is a relatively rare bright circular spot on a lunar halo caused by the refraction of moonlight by hexagonal-plate-shaped ice crystals in cirrus or cirrostratus clouds. Moondogs appear to the left and right of the moon 22° or more distant. They are exactly analogous to sun dogs, but are rarer because to be produced the moon must be bright and therefore full or nearly full. Moondogs show little color to the unaided eye because their light is not bright enough to activate the cone cells of humans' eyes.
A moon dog or moondog (scientific name paraselene, plural paraselenae, i.e. "beside the moon") is a relatively rare bright circular spot on a lunar halo caused by the refraction of moonlight by hexagonal-plate-shaped ice crystals in cirrus or cirrostratus clouds. Moondogs appear to the left and right of the moon 22° or more distant. They are exactly analogous to sun dogs, but are rarer because to be produced the moon must be bright and therefore full or nearly full. Moondogs show little color to the unaided eye because their light is not bright enough to activate the cone cells of humans' eyes.
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The wiki article makes a main point that the main ring is about 22 degrees away from the moon. The moon extends an angle of one half of one degree so this ring could hold 44 full moons across its diameter. Even more rare is the double ring where the outer ring is about 46 degrees away from the moon and dimmer. The main ring doesnt get closer to the moon if there is a higher chance of rain.
The ring does mean there is moisture at high altitudes.
The ring does mean there is moisture at high altitudes.
imported_ankle23
Well-Known Member
i went out last night after reading this thread - nothing more than a normal looking moon at 1 a.m. here in WDM.
FalseMirage
Well-Known Member
FalseMirage
Well-Known Member
That's a sure sign of radioactive flatulence.
aeischeid
Well-Known Member
Or isotopic abundance...
