Solar Halos over Somerset | Earth Science
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This image captures a parhelic circle and 22-degree halo over Somerset in southwestern England.
Photographer Josh Dury: "Featured above is a stunning parhelic circle I captured with a fisheye lens during the afternoon of May 7, 2025, above Somerset, England. The smaller circle at bottom center is a 22-degree halo. Both the parhelic circle and halo were presented as complete circles for several minutes before heavier clouds rolled in. Hexagonal-shaped ice crystals that compose cirrus clouds were responsible for forming both of these glorious rings in the sky. However, reflection of sunlight off similarly oriented crystals forms the colorless parhelic circle, whereas refraction of sunlight through more or less randomly oriented crystals forms the halo. Note that the linear streaks marring the scene are jet contrails. Always use extreme care when looking in the direction of the Sun."
A parhelic circle is a type of halo, an optical phenomenon appearing as a horizontal white line on the same altitude as the Sun.
Solar halos are generally created by randomly oriented ice crystals in thin, high cirrus clouds. Circular 22 degree halos like this one are visible much more often than rainbows.
Text Credit: Josh Dury; Jim Foster
Capture Location: Somerset, U.K.
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