Re: [OFF TOPIC] Anyone astronomical out there?

I see it a lot in Northern Illinois.

Jonathan Jarrard wrote:

> Scott Nolan wrote:
> >
> > At 04:26 PM 3/10/98 +0000, you wrote:
> > >To anyone out there with any astronomy/meteorology expertise:
> > >I have a sky-watching question for you- last night the sky over
> > Oxford, UK,
> > >was very lightly cloudy/overcast, whith brighter stars visible. The
>
> > moon,
> > >however, seemed completely clear, as was the sky in a perfect
> circle
> > round
> > >it, perhaps 15-20 moon-diameters across. The effect was fascinating
>
> > and
> > >beautiful, but what did it? Obviously, the "clear patch" was also
> > cloudy,
> > >but the moonlight was getting through it more directly. Tyndall
> > effect?
> > >Ice crystals refracting the light? Some sort of "moonbow"? Will it
> be
> > back?
> >
> > I have seen this twice in my life, and it is beautiful. It is caused
>
> > by ice crystals suspended high in the upper atmosphere.
> >
> > Scott
> >
> > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> > "Yes, cigarettes. My hovercraft is full of eels."
> > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> > Scott C. Nolan
> > nolan@erols.com
>
> Is it really that rare?  I see it a couple times a year in Michigan
> and
> Ontario