Ring around the moon

DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) - A weekend phenomenon still has people talking at the water cooler today.  Saturday's full moon not only lit up the night sky, it had cameras flashing! 

Saturday night we received calls, emails and tweets asking one question - what is that circle around the moon?    It's called a moon halo and it was quite a sight.   Here's the science behind the ring around the moon. 

The moon has always been a bright fixture in our night sky.  But every once in a while we see it has other talents. 

Last month -- there was a total lunar eclipse that most of the eastern united states missed.  But over the weekend we were treated to a unique view.

If you look closely there's a faint ring around the moon.  Viewers sent us these photos via email and facebook.  Different perspectives show how large the ring really looked.  While it wasn't as colorful as a rainbow -- it was still a rare view.

There are certain weather conditions needed to create this halo.   On Saturday night high clouds covered the Miami Valley sky.  The clouds contained tiny ice-crystals.  Those ice-crystals refract or bend the moon's light creating a faint ring around the moon.

The halo lasted for several hours before fading away.   But we can always count on the crater filled satellite to keep our nights bright.

If you missed the celestial show we've created a photo gallery of the pictures viewers sent to us.  Click here to take a look. 

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