Sun halo photos: When sky mesmerised Bengalureans

People in Bengaluru witnessed a rare phenomenon on Monday morning as a rainbow circled the sun creating a halo.

The ‘22 degree circular halo’ was first seen at around 10:50am and lasted for over an hour.

The rare occurrence takes place due to the dispersion of light — Twitter/@PCMohanMP

When the white light passes through ice crystals found in the cirrus clouds, the circular halo is formed.

The white light refracts twice while entering and exiting the ice crystals resulting in a rainbow-coloured halo.

Just like a rainbow, a halo is visible when viewed from the right angle.

Delighted Bengaluru residents took to social media to share photos of the halo — Twitter/@samyuktahornad

Amidst challenging times with Covid, this majestic optical phenomenon witnessed across Bengaluru definitely brightened up the day, tweeted Govt of India.

Some people joked on Twitter saying that even the sun is social distancing.

Such a halo could also occur around the moon at night, which is formed due to the same phenomenon — Twitter/@AratiKumarRao

The phenomenon seen in Bengaluru was witnessed last year as well, while another such ring was seen in Tamil Nadu's Rameswaram.