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Wednesday December 04, 2024

Fascinating halo formed around sun seen in Karachi

This interesting phenomenon occurs when light passes through ice crystals in upper atmosphere

By Uneeba Waqar
April 20, 2024
The picture shows a halo around sun in Karachi on Saturday, April 20, 2024. — Jawad Memon
The picture shows a halo around sun in Karachi on Saturday, April 20, 2024. — Jawad Memon

KARACHI: A mesmerising halo was formed around the sun on Saturday (today) which was witnessed by people in different parts of Sindh, including Karachi. 

The coloured circles that were formed around the sun are called sun halos, said meteorological analyst Jawad Memon.

According to Memon, the halos usually appear near the sun or moon. This interesting phenomenon occurs when light passes through ice crystals in the upper atmosphere.

What causes sun halo to appear?

According to the UK-based Atmospheric Optics, a knowledge-sharing website, the halo phenomenon happens when the light is reflected and refracted by ice crystals and may split into colours because of dispersion.

Reports suggest that usually, a halo indicates that rain will fall within the next 24 hours since the cirrostratus clouds that cause them can signify an approaching frontal system.