Netizens abuzz over haloed moon

Screengrab from https://earthsky.org/

MANILA, Philippines—The moon sported a ring around it on Monday night, making a buzz on Facebook and Twitter.

But the state weather bureau said it is a normal occurrence.

“The halo is a reflection of ice crystals brought by high clouds,” explained Ed Lagoc, of the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration’s weather observatory.

“It is also caused by the low pressure area in the Visayas,” he added.

In its website, Pagasa said the cirrostratus clouds, defined as “thin, whitish veil of fibrous or smooth appearance, totally or partly covering the sky,” frequently produce the halo phenomenon.

Meanwhile, according to Earthsky.org, lunar halos “are signs that storms are nearby.”

“Tiny ice crystals in Earth’s atmosphere cause the halos. They do this by refracting and reflecting the light,” it said.