Lunar Halo over Snowy Trees

Have you ever seen a halo around the Moon? This fairly common sight occurs when high thin clouds containing millions of tiny ice crystals cover much of the sky. Each ice crystal acts like a miniature lens. Because most of the crystals have a similar elongated hexagonal shape, light entering one crystal face and exiting through the opposing face refracts 22 degrees, which corresponds to the radius of the Moon Halo. A similar Sun Halo may be visible during the day. Exactly how ice-crystals form in clouds remains a topic of research. In the featured image taken last week from Östersund, Sweden, a complete lunar halo was captured over snowy trees and rabbit tracks. via NASA https://ift.tt/3oI2qms

Picture of the day for February 1, 2021

Wikipedia picture of the day on February 1, 2021: View of the district of Otrobanda, Willemstad, Curaçao, from Queen Emma Bridge, a pontoon bridge across St. Anna Bay. It connects the Punda and Otrobanda quarters of the island’s capital. The bridge is hinged and opens regularly to enable the passage of oceangoing vessels. https://ift.tt/3aiZLdv

Wikipedia article of the day for February 1, 2021

Wikipedia article of the day is Haane Manahi. Check it out: https://ift.tt/3cvVVR0 Summary: Haane Manahi (28 September 1913 – 29 March 1986) was a New Zealand Māori soldier who served in the Second World War with the Māori Battalion. He joined the battalion in 1939 and fought in Greece, in Crete and in North Africa. In April 1943, during the Tunisian campaign, his gallantry in an action at Takrouna resulted in a recommendation, supported by four generals, that he be awarded the Victoria Cross (VC). This was downgraded to an award of the Distinguished Conduct Medal, which disappointed many of his fellow soldiers. After his death in a car crash in 1986, representations were made for a posthumous award of the VC for his valour at Takrouna. These representations were unsuccessful but eventually resulted in a special award in 2007 of an altar cloth for use in a local church, a ceremonial sword and a personal letter from Queen Elizabeth II in recognition of his gallantry.