A bright solar halo during the winter solstice

Last week, a photographer from Sweden captured a bright solar halo at noon local time, when the sun was low above the horizon. This position of the sun is typical for the period around the winter solstice in the second half of December when observed from the Northern hemisphere.

In most cases, an ice halo is formed with the participation of hexagonal crystals floating in the atmosphere. But taking into account the clear weather and the proximity of the sun to the horizon, the source of the reflective ice floes could be snow cannons used on a nearby ski slope.

The peak of the winter solstice this year took place on 22.12 48 minutes after midnight Moscow time. For regions in the northern latitudes of the Earth, this means the beginning of astronomical winter, and for those south of the equator, the beginning of summer. The midday sun in this period of time is characterized by the lowest position above the horizon, which is why the duration of the day is the shortest of the year. During the summer solstice, the opposite pattern is observed.