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Today our family was having a reunion in Nephi when we saw a large ring around the sun. We took this picture of it. With the camera in max. wide angle we could not get the entire ring in the picture. What can you tell us about this.
Thanks, Lynn E.
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We got about a zillion emails on Friday June 30th with people asking questions about what they were seeing outside. I can't post your personal picture, but there's another piece of a halo in this picture listed here. The ring around the sun was indeed a halo. Halos are formed by tiny ice crystals bending the light. Sun dogs are created in a similar way but the ice crystals are oriented differently when they are falling.
Some links on the right will help you to understand the difference between the two.
Whenever you see higher level cirrostratus clouds be on the look out for really cool optics. Remember, it's cold enough in our atmosphere to support many ice crystals, even in the summertime when it's very warm at the surface of the earth.
Answered by KSL Meteorologist Dina Freedman.
