Remarkable Halos, China



A magnificent halo display in high and cold cirrus haze. Imaged over NE Yunnan Province by JI Yun (计云) on 4th May 2014. The sun was about 42° high.



There are many rare halos. Mouse over



Note the upper











the image to see a labelled and enhanced version. Enhancement was by colour subtraction. It highlights coloured halos.Note the upper Wegener arc from horizontal column crystals and its more rare continuation below the sun. Parry arcs are rare. High sun Parry arcs more so. There are three in this image - One above the sun and reaching towards the parhelic circle and two below it. Parry oriented crystals generate helic arcs from external reflections from their side faces. They are exceeding rare unless from the somewhat artificially generated crystals of ski slopes . Here there is a possible faint trace of one in wholly natural high cirrus. Images ©JI Yun (计云), shown with permission