Halo around the sun - weather today UK - 22 degrees

Today I saw something that I don't think I've ever seen before - but then I've not really looked for it.

We're all familiar with #rainbows. We all know that if the sun is low, the clouds opposite are dark/showery we are likely to see the beautiful spectral arc of fantasy and fiction - and science of course.

However, how many of you have seen a full circle rainbow around the sun?

Well I for one never knew it was a thing. Today I found out that it is.

Better known as The Halo or more scientifically a 22 Degree Halo, the phenomenon occurs apparently when ice crystals in the cirrus clouds passing over and around the sun's light/sphere react to the light. The crystals bend direct sunlight, projecting it elsewhere into the sky, at a 22 degree angle-- causing a halo to be seen around the sun from the earth.

I feel very privileged to have seen this, especially as I have gone half a century and never noticed it before.

I was in fact looking to photograph some jets from a nearby airbase. I managed to get one picture (worth looking at ) of a jet, one of a random passenger plane that I couldn't even see with my own eyes, then my attention turned as I caught at first a tiny rainbow then the full on halo.
(for reference I was using my bridge camera - canon powershot SX500IS which has a 30x optical zoom. Awesome on automatic shots for catching planes at over 30 miles away and way high in the sky.)


Here's some info if you want to look further
earthsky
wikipedia
[university of Illinois](http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/guides/mtr/opt/ice/halo/22.rxml
I hope you too have learned something new today.

Never stop learning. Never stop sharing.