Ice Crystals Cause the 22º Sun Halo, Port Charlotte, Fla., June 4, 2012
While fueling up my car in Port Charlotte yesterday afternoon, I saw two women about 20 years my senior aiming their iPhones toward the sky. When I looked up, all I could see were contrails from three airplanes and couldn’t figure out the big deal. Pulling away from the gas station, I saw others looking up so I pulled over and saw something amazingly cool.
It Looks Like a Giant Eyeball! 22º Sun Halo in Port Charlotte, Fla., June 4, 2012
A rainbow around the sun. Or was it a sun bow? (or sunbow?) Was it a sign from the higher power above?
Is it a Sign? No, Just a 22º Sun Halo in Port Charlotte, Fla., June 4, 2012
Although I was wearing sunglasses, I avoided looking directly at the sun because I didn’t want to burn my eyes out. (Things I remember from junior high and watching a solar eclipse.)
Turns out I was looking at a 22º sun halo (or 22º solar halo) and according to WZVN-TV (Southwest Florida) Chief Meteorologist John Patrick, the halo is “formed by ice crystals in high, thin cirrus clouds.” The “rainbow” is caused by the sun’s rays reflecting against the ice crystals. (Source: “What the Halo?!?” NBC2.com, June 4, 2012)
Apparently, the solar halo was visible throughout South Florida Sunday and yesterday. Did you see it?
Jennifer A. Huber is an award-winning travel and outdoor blogger and writer in Southwest Florida. Originally from Buffalo, N.Y., a hiking trail led her to a career path in the tourism industry for more than 30 years. She spent a decade with a park management company in Yellowstone, Death Valley, and Everglades National Parks. She founded the travel blog, SoloTravelGirl.com with the goal of inspiring others to travel alone, not lonely.
The unexpected death of her former husband in 2008 reminded her how short life is. His passing was a catalyst for sharing her experiences with the goal of inspiring and empowering others to travel solo.
Jennifer holds a Travel Marketing Professional certification from the Southeast Tourism Society, is a certified food judge, member of the NASA Social community, and alum of the FBI Citizens Academy. When not traveling, she is either in the kitchen, practicing her photography skills, or road tripping with her dog, Radcliff.
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