22 Degree Halo

A strange phenomenon in the sky when a bright halo appears encircling the sun.

These are considerably different and more rare than what we commonly refer to as "sundogs"...although both involve sunlight and ice crystals. The 22 degree halo forms when light from the sun is refracted by ice crystals associated with thin high level clouds. The refractions bend the light by 22 degrees from its original direction... producing a ring of light observed at 22 degrees from the sun.

The halo in the photograph appeared over the Tucson Arizona sky in June of 2006.

Submitted for Photo Friday 02 February 2007: Strange