Halo around moon on New Years Eve

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SUMMARY

The forum discussion centers around the phenomenon of a halo around the moon observed on New Year's Eve. Participants shared personal experiences, noting that the halo is caused by ice crystals in the atmosphere, creating a prism effect. Observations varied by location, with some users in Northern California and others in Phoenix reporting visibility of the halo despite differing weather conditions. The discussion highlights the beauty and rarity of witnessing such an event, especially during a celebratory occasion.

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Woot!

I was at a party on new years eve and at around 11:30 pm a lot of us climbed up onto the roof of the house (the house was HUGE :bugeye: ) and when I looked up, there was a clear halo around the moon. It was cool O_O. Anyway, a few hours later it was barely visible. It's just awesome that the first time I've ever seen this happened to be on New Years Eve... Several friends of mine have told me about times they have seen this and now I know exactly what they are talking about. I tried taking a picture with my cell, but it didn't work out too well...

Umm, I'm not sure what the point of this thread is (which is why this is in GD!).
 
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That is a cool thing to see, its caused by ice crystles and the degree{normally somewhere around 20%} makeing a prism effect.
 
moose said:
Woot!

I was at a party on new years eve and at around 11:30 pm a lot of us climbed up onto the roof of the house

Well, it's good you're still alive. :-p
 
My wife Tsu mentioned this. She was in N. California and mentioned that there was a strikingly beautiful halo around the moon at midnight. It had been clear, but around 12 some broken clouds rolled in and the halo formed.

Here, there was a freezing fog so thick that visibility was down to about one-hundred feet.
 
Last edited:
Ivan Seeking said:
Here, there was a freezing fog so thick that visibility was down to about one-hundred feet.

I wish we had thick fog here...ever. I would whip out my green laser and it would be cool...
 
Are you in N. Ca. or is this a coincidence?
 
After that many beers, many things begin to have halos :smile:
 
Ivan Seeking said:
Are you in N. Ca. or is this a coincidence?

I'm in Phoenix... Interesting.
 
Hmm...driving through PA and NY tonight, there was still quite a pronounced halo visible around the moon early in the evening. The sky was very cloudy here too, but is there some reason the halo is so noticeable aside from the cloud coverage? Is it the position of the moon, or is it a bit brighter than usual?
 

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