Ring Around the Moon on 13th - Central NJ

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In summary: Maybe it's because I'm in the desert.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: Maybe it's because I'm in the desert.
  • #1
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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  • #2
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
 
  • #3
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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  • #4
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?
 
  • #5
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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  • #6
Ring around the moon, rain by noon.
 
  • #7
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
 
  • #8
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.
 
  • #9
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
waht 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:
 

1. What causes a ring around the moon?

The ring around the moon, also known as a lunar halo, is caused by the refraction and scattering of moonlight through ice crystals in high-altitude clouds. These ice crystals act as tiny prisms, bending and dispersing the light to create the halo effect.

2. Why is the ring around the moon sometimes only visible on certain nights?

The visibility of the lunar halo depends on the presence of high-altitude clouds with ice crystals. If there are no clouds or if the clouds do not have ice crystals, the ring around the moon will not be visible. This is why it may only be visible on certain nights.

3. Is a ring around the moon a rare occurrence?

No, a ring around the moon is not a rare event. It can be seen fairly frequently, especially in areas with colder climates where there are more chances for high-altitude clouds to form with ice crystals.

4. Can a ring around the moon predict the weather?

There is no scientific evidence to support the idea that a ring around the moon can predict the weather. However, it is often believed that the presence of a lunar halo indicates an approaching storm or change in weather, but this is simply a myth.

5. Are there any other celestial events that can cause a ring around the moon?

Yes, besides ice crystals in high-altitude clouds, a ring around the moon can also be caused by other celestial events such as dust or ash in the atmosphere from volcanic eruptions or wildfires. However, these events are less common and may create a different appearance for the lunar halo.

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