Some call it a sundog, others a rainbow, and there are those who have called it an elaborate Daily Sun advert.
A 22 degree halo around the sun, caused by ice crystals in the Earth’s atmosphere, put in a colourful cameo appearance today.
“The rainbow ring around our sun is called a sun halo... just like a rainbow it doesn’t last long and will probably be gone within the next hour,” Johannesburg Planetarium astronomer Claire Flanagan said mid-morning.
How long does this phenomenon last?
“Depends how long the right conditions persist and how widespread they are. This one lasted quite a while, for more than an hour. People in KZN, Mpumalanga, Gauteng and the North West also saw it,” Flanagan said.
She advised people not to look directly at the sun as it could cause eye-damage.
» Send your pics of the halo to web@citypress.co.za.
– Sapa and City Press reporter
