Upper North Island treated to sun ‘halo’ in the skies

Residents across the North Island of New Zealand observed a sun halo, a rare but not uncommon atmospheric phenomenon, on Tuesday.

Sun Halo Explained

MetService shared a photograph of the 22⁰ circular halo on social media, noting it was visible due to a thin veil of high cloud covering the upper North Island.

The phenomenon is created by the refraction of light through hexagonal prism-shaped ice crystals, according to the forecaster. These ice halos occur frequently, even more often than rainbows.

“Light is refracted as it enters through one face of the hexagonal ice crystal, and is refracted once more as it exits through another face,” MetService explained.

The geometry of the ice crystals deflects light rays at angles between 22⁰ and 50⁰, with a concentration at approximately 22⁰, creating a brighter circle than the surrounding sky.

Tracey Lee, a resident of Tauranga, shared a photo of the halo with 1News, stating she had previously witnessed the event a few years ago.