People of Hyderabad were in for a pleasant surprise on Wednesday, courtesy of the sun. The city rang in the Telangana Formation Day with a rare atmospheric phenomenon that had most residents staring at the sky, taking in the scenic sight. Citizens were pleasantly surprised to spot a large rainbow-hued halo around the sun in the morning. This unusual optical phenomenon is known as the ‘22 degree circular halo'. Excited residents soon shared images of the stunning view on social media.
Sun halo, also known as '22 degree halo', is an optical phenomenon that occurs due to sunlight refracting in millions of hexagonal ice crystals suspended in the atmosphere. It is known by this name as the light takes the form of a ring with a radius of approximately 22 degrees around the sun or the moon. When formed around the moon it is called a moon ring or winter halo. Unlike the sun halo which is coloured in hues of the rainbow, winter halos are mostly closer to white than any other shade.
Take a look at the images and videos that were shared by the people of Hyderabad on Twitter.
Telangana Rashtra Samithi's Social Media Convenor, Jagan Patimeedi, wrote: "Mesmerised by the sun halo in Hyderabad" while sharing a pic..
“Hyderabadis go out and look at the beautiful sun right now! Inform all your friends & especially the kids to notice this rare atmospheric phenomenon,” wrote another user.
One user pointed out that the halo had formed on the state's 8th formation day.
Some even said that the rainbow halo was a befitting start to June, which is celebrated as Pride Month.
Many also broke down the science behind the sighting. “A sun halo is caused by the refraction, reflection, and dispersion of light through ice particles suspended within thin, wispy, high altitude cirrus or cirrostratus clouds,” a user said.
Take a look at some of the other reactions.
One user also dropped tips on how to get the perfect photo of the halo.
The same phenomenon was also reported in parts of Bengaluru last week.
Toddler Mauled To Death By Pack Of Stray Dogs In Hyderabad: Police Food Safety Violations Found At Next Galleria Mall In Hyderabad - What You Should Know 8 Arrested For Kidnapping IT Firm's Founder Over Non-Payment Of Salaries In Hyderabad World's Largest Isolated Tribe Makes Rare Appearance In New Footage 4 Passengers Die As 12 Coaches Of Chandigarh-Dibrugarh Express Derail In UP Why BJP Lost Lok Sabha Polls In Uttar Pradesh - 6 Reasons In Party Report Sensex Breaches 81,000 Mark, Nifty Scales 24,800 Peak On IT, FMCG Gains 'Yodha' Is A Mammoth Documentation Of India's Wars And Battles Woman Dies After Jumping Off Elevated Platform At Delhi Metro Station: Cops Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.