'Halo Hyderabad': Look at the sky for a rare rainbow-hallow ring around sun

Hyderabad: People in Hyderabad woke up to a rare phenomenon of a big hallow ring around the sun on Wednesday. The halo ring complimented Hyderabad's pleasant weather hours after moderate rainfall was recorded on June 1st (Tuesday).

From morning walkers to homemakers, everyone was trying to catch the glimpse of the unique spectacle in the sky. Some people tried to film it on their mobile phones and some tried to take a selfie with sun halo in the backdrop. A similar phenomenon was noticed in Bengaluru a few days ago.

According to experts, the halos are caused by both refraction, or splitting of light, reflection, or glints of light from these ice crystals which are in a hexagonal shape. "Around monsoon or spring season, not an actual rainbow but a coloured ring forms accidentally or coincidentally, they are made up of same size particles. One can see a dispersion of light reflecting seven colors in the sky around the sun," said BG Sidharth, Director, BM Birla Science Centre, Hyderabad.

He added that it's an accidental phenomenon that occurs sometime in a year or two.

Like rainbows, halos around the sun – or moon – are personal. Experts said a person in Delhi may see a rainbow or halo at 4 pm but a person in Hyderabad may not because atmospheric conditions in a location are crucial to see halo/Rainbow.

Mr Raghunandhan Rao, Founder of Planetary Society of India said a similar big circle was witnessed around the same time last year.

"In Scientific Circles, they are known as `22-degree halos'. Because for an observer in a location the ring has a radius of approximately 22 degrees around the sun or moon. The phenomenon was noticed last year also," he said.