Have you seen the halo around the sun?

Sun Halo seen from South Florida. (WPLG)

PEMBROKE PARK, Fla. – Reports across South Florida came in about a strange ring around the sun this weekend. It’s a sun halo and may be more common that you might think.

It formed as sunlight passed through high, thin cirrus clouds moving in from the Gulf of Mexico.

Recommended Videos



These clouds are more than 20,000 feet off the ground and are so cold that they’re made of ice crystals.

Light passing through them is refracted, just like a prism, creating the halo.

Occasionally they can show some color. The halos seen Saturday and Sunday were vivid enough for a reddish color in the inner ring.

It can also be found around a bright full moon if conditions are just right.


About the Author:

Brandon Orr joined the Local 10 News team in 2018.