Ring Around the Moon on 13th - Central NJ

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    Moon Ring
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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the observation of a ring around the moon on the night of the 13th, with participants sharing their experiences and speculating on the causes of the phenomenon. The scope includes personal observations, potential explanations, and folklore associated with lunar rings.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants noted the beauty of the ring and its increasing intensity throughout the night.
  • One participant suggested it might be a moon halo and provided a link for further explanation.
  • Another participant expressed uncertainty about their vision, questioning whether what they saw was a result of poor night vision.
  • There were mentions of a folk saying linking the ring around the moon to impending rain, with explanations involving high cirrus clouds and warm fronts.
  • Some participants described different experiences with moon rings, including variations in size and clarity, leading to questions about the nature of the observed phenomenon.
  • One participant recounted a past experience with a ring that expanded over time, attributing it to ice crystals, but noted it was different from typical moon halos.
  • There were humorous exchanges about moonshine and its effects, unrelated to the scientific discussion.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants have differing views on the nature of the observed ring, with some agreeing it could be a moon halo while others question this identification. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the exact cause and nature of the phenomenon.

Contextual Notes

Some participants' observations may depend on individual perceptions and conditions, such as vision quality and atmospheric factors. The discussion includes anecdotal experiences that may not align with scientific explanations.

offtheleft
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did anyone else happen to notice it as well? I believe is was on the night of the 13th. It got more and more Intense as the night went on. Beautiful none the less!

Anyone know why it happened? I used to remember the reason I thing but now I can't recall it. Oh. And I was in the central nj area.
 
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I saw it too, in Arizona. I thought it was just my eyesight going bad. Sometimes I have really bad night vision and I thought maybe I was just seeing a blurry moon, but it did make me stop and look. Maybe I don't need glasses
 
offtheleft said:
did anyone else happen to notice it as well? I believe is was on the night of the 13th. It got more and more Intense as the night went on. Beautiful none the less!

Anyone know why it happened? I used to remember the reason I thing but now I can't recall it. Oh. And I was in the central nj area.
Perhaps it was a moon halo. Here is a site with an explanation.
http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap030421.html"
I have seen a couple of them myself in the past, but I missed this one.
 
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I'm just hoping it wasn't motion blur as the moon rockets towards the northern hemisphere. How big of a crater does the moon leave when it hits? I know I'd die, but would it be enough to split the Earth in half?
 
jimmysnyder said:
Perhaps it was a moon halo. Here is a site with an explanation.
http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap030421.html"
I have seen a couple of them myself in the past, but I missed this one.

what I saw didn't look quite like that picture. My halo was quite a bit smaller, but I'll buy the explanation.
 
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Ring around the moon, rain by noon.
 
hypatia said:
Ring around the moon, rain by noon.

The reason for that piece of folk wishdom is that these high cirrus clouds are associated with a warm front approaching, in which the approaching warmer air is forced to move over the resident colder air starting at the highest levels. The uplifting warmer air cools and water cristals form (sublimation). As the front progresses the level at which condensation takes places decreases and the cloud deck gets thicker, eventually it may rain (drizzle type)...for days.

http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/guides/mtr/af/frnts/wfrnt/def.rxml
 
tribdog said:
what I saw didn't look quite like that picture. My halo was quite a bit smaller, but I'll buy the explanation.
There may be several reasons for that. A moon halo is always the same size. Perhaps what you saw was not a moon halo, in which case I don't know what you saw.
 
My family and I witnessed an odd ring around the moon years ago. It started off as a small well defined ring close to the moon, (no halo) and as time went by, the ring grew larger around the moon, although the thickness of the band remained the same, just a larger circumference. We watched for over 30 minutes until it encompased most of the sky, it was completely clear inside and outside the ring. The phenomenom was on the local news later. They said it was caused by ice crystals.

I've seen a number of moon halos before, but that was the first ring.
 
  • #10
jimmysnyder said:
There may be several reasons for that. A moon halo is always the same size. Perhaps what you saw was not a moon halo, in which case I don't know what you saw.

damn, back to the blurry vision phenomenon?
 
  • #11
The ring could be an effect of moonshine.
 
  • #12
thanks jimmy! that's definitely what i saw :)
 
  • #13
what said:
The ring could be an effect of moonshine.

I've always wanted to try moonshine...
 
  • #14
got any rubbing alcohol?
Edit: I know, I know, I know. you'll go blind blah blah. Just saying the taste is similar
 
  • #15
hypatia said:
Ring around the moon, rain by noon.


There was another old addage saying if you count the number of stars inside of the ring, that will be the number of days it will rain.

I tried it once and it never even rained. :cry:
 

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