Bengaluru residents delighted to spot rainbow ring around the sun, here's what it means

“It’s magical, the sun’s got a halo for itself,” celebrate internet users as the rainbow ring was spotted around the sun in Bangaluru with pictures and videos flooding on social media. The delightful residents spotted this phenomenon once last year but this time on May 24 around noon, the ‘Sun halo’ was captured again. From calling is ‘not rare’ to referring to the incident as ‘God’s message’, netizens were seen exhilarated to view the Bengaluru sky lit up with the rainbow ring encircling the sun. Here are some of the pictures of the phenomenon on Monday:

All about the celestial phenomenon and its meaning

Sun Halo, a celestial phenomenon of the perfect rainbow ring with the sun in its centre is also known as the 22-degree circular halo of the Sun or often the Moon. When the ring appears around the Moon, it is called Winter Halo or the Moon Ring. For the instance of the Sun, it occurs when the Sun’s rays get deflected or refracted through the hexagonal ice crystals that are floating in the cirrus clouds. Even though it is very common in cold nations, in India, it is rare and still remains unpredicted.

In other words, the ring is formed around Sun or Moon when there are moisture-laden cirrus clouds in the sky near or around the celestial bodies. Hence, it is a local phenomenon. There’s also old weather saying referring to the phenomenon that goes, “ring around the moon means rain soon.” This is because the high cirrus clouds are often formed before a storm. The halos are a sign of high, thin cirrus clouds that are drifting at least 20,000 feet or more above the heads.

What are cirrus clouds?

Cirrus is a type of atmospheric cloud generally characterized with thin, wispy strands, giving the type its name from the Latin word cirrus, meaning a ringlet or curling lock of hair. These formations occur at any altitude between 5,000 and 13,700 m above sea level.   They also consist of crystals that either refract, reflect or allow glints of light to pass through them.

Furthermore, the crystals in the cirrus clouds have to be in perfect orientation and positioned just with the respect to a person’s eye so that the halo can be formed. Therefore, the halos around the sun or moon are ‘personal.’ This means that every person sees their own halo made by their own particular ice crystals which can be different from the ice crystals making the halo for the person standing just beside.

Superstitions regarding Sun Halo

As per a Guardian article from 2018, the halos have provoked fascination and superstition since Babylonian times. King Edward IV of England even used the phenomenon to help him win a battle during the War of the Roses. With research, it is now known that the halos are linked with crystals that act scatter light. Sometimes, halos can presage a storm. 

During biblical times, the rainbow halo was used as a sign from Goad as evidence of His covenant with Noah to never flood the Earth again. In African mythology, a solar halo is seen as a sign of great change ahead. Several mythologies from cultures across the globe believed that it is a sign of rain or storm, which is not false.

IMAGE: @ved_shuba/Twitter