﻿ Astronomy Picture of the Day [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2020 February 24 [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest resolution version available. Moon Corona, Halo, and Arcs over Manitoba Image Credit & Copyright: [3]Brent Mckean Explanation: Yes, but could you get to work on time if the Moon looked like this? As the photographer was preparing to drive to work, [4]refraction, [5]reflection, and even [6]diffraction of moonlight from millions of falling ice crystals turned the [7]familiar icon of our Moon into a [8]menagerie of other-worldly halos and arcs. The featured scene was captured with three combined exposures two weeks ago on a cold winter morning in [9]Manitoba, [10]Canada. The [11]colorful rings are a [12]corona caused by [13]quantum diffraction by small drops of water or ice near the direction of the [14]Moon. Outside of that, a [15]22-degree halo was created by moonlight refracting through six-sided cylindrical [16]ice crystals. To the sides are [17]moon dogs, caused by light refracting through thin, flat, [18]six-sided ice platelets as they flittered toward the ground. Visible at the top and bottom of the [19]22-degree halo are upper and lower [20]tangent arcs, created by moonlight refracting through nearly horizontal [21]hexagonal ice cylinders. A few minutes later, from a field just off the road to work, the halo and arcs had disappeared, the sky had returned to normal -- with the exception of a [22]single faint moon dog. Tomorrow's picture: Jupiter-sized magnet __________________________________________________________________ [23]< | [24]Archive | [25]Submissions | [26]Index | [27]Search | [28]Calendar | [29]RSS | [30]Education | [31]About APOD | [32]Discuss | [33]> __________________________________________________________________ Authors & editors: [34]Robert Nemiroff ([35]MTU) & [36]Jerry Bonnell ([37]UMCP) NASA Official: Phillip Newman [38]Specific rights apply. [39]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices A service of: [40]ASD at [41]NASA / [42]GSFC & [43]Michigan Tech. U. References 1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2002/MoonHalo_Mckean_5612.jpg 3. mailto: brentmckean501 @at@ gmail .dot. com 4. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/basics/chapter6-6/ 5. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap191022.html 6. https://science.nasa.gov/ems/03_behaviors 7. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap160201.html 8. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap180101.html 9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manitoba 10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canada 11. https://www.atoptics.co.uk/droplets/corcols.htm 12. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap160111.html 13. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diffraction 14. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/moons/earths-moon/overview/ 15. https://www.atoptics.co.uk/halo/common.htm 16. https://www.atoptics.co.uk/halo/platcol.htm 17. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moon_dog 18. https://www.atoptics.co.uk/halo/orplate.htm 19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap150403.html 20. https://www.atoptics.co.uk/halo/column.htm 21. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hexagon 22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap090611.html 23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap200223.html 24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html 26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html 27. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search 28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html 29. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss 30. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html 31. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html 32. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=200224 33. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap200225.html 34. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html 35. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/ 36. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html 37. http://www.astro.umd.edu/ 38. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply 39. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html 40. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/ 41. https://www.nasa.gov/ 42. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/ 43. http://www.mtu.edu/