Wednesday evening, the Moon attracted everyone’s attention. She was even the star of social networks for an evening. Indeed, many Internet users have been able to observe it surrounded by a halo of light, not easy to photograph.
While it may be surprising, this optical phenomenon is not uncommon. It occurs by the refraction or reflection of light by ice crystals suspended in the atmosphere. Depending on the orientation of the latter, the halo can take different forms. This explains, for example, the formation of rainbows.
For such an appearance to occur, several conditions must be met. The atmosphere at altitude must be humid enough for these crystals to form. The sky must also be clear enough for us to be able to witness the phenomenon.
A lunar eclipse planned for tomorrow
The star will again be the subject of studies this Friday evening. A half-light eclipse of the Moon is planned for January 10 at 8:10 p.m. However, the event does not look very spectacular. It will even be barely noticeable.
A real lunar eclipse, by the alignment of the three stars would cause the complete disappearance of the Moon. But since this is a penumbral eclipse, the Moon will only cross the penumbra of the Earth and will therefore not be completely eclipsed. The only consequence will be a barely noticeable decrease in brightness.
Laura Juliano
Created: 09.01.2020, 12h31
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