Sharjah skies witness rare astronomical phenomenon called 22° Halo

Ibrahim Al Jarwan, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Emirates Astronomical Society and a member of the Arab Union for Astronomy and Space Sciences, announced the appearance of a circular halo around the sun in the sky of Sharjah on Saturday afternoon, known as the 22° Halo.

Al Jarwan explained in a statement to Al Khaleej newspaper that this circular halo is an optical phenomenon resulting from the refraction of sunlight through ice crystals present in thin, high clouds, such as cirrus clouds.

He added that high clouds consist of hexagonal ice crystals and when sunlight passes through these crystals, it refracts at a specific angle (approximately 22 degrees).

As a result of this refraction, a circular ring of light appears around the sun (or the moon at night), referred to as the 22-Degree Halo.

Al Jarwan noted that this phenomenon may indicate changes in the weather, such as the approach of a low-pressure system or rainfall within a day or two, especially if followed by denser clouds.

"The circular halo around the sun was likely observed in several areas across the UAE, as high clouds generally covered most parts of the country during the day on Saturday," he added.

He also mentioned that the circular halo is usually white but sometimes has faint edges of red on the inside and violet on the outside, similar to the colours of a rainbow.