AUGUST 11, 2015
A Blue Moon Halo over Antarctica
EXPLANATION
Have you ever seen a halo around the Moon? Such 22 degree rings around the Moon—caused by ice crystals falling in the Earth’s atmosphere—are somewhat rare. OK, but have you ever seen a blue moon? Given the modern definition of blue moon—the second full moon occurring in a calendar month—these are also rare. What is featured above might therefore be considered doubly rare—a halo surrounding a blue moon. The featured image was taken late last month near Zhongshan Station in Antarctica. Visible in the foreground are a power generating house and a snowmobile. What might seem to be stars in the background are actually illuminated snowflakes near the camera.
Image Credit & Copyright
