Moon with rainbow halo shines on S'pore on March 26, 2021

A moon with a rainbow halo around it was witnessed by residents in Singapore on Friday night, March 26, between 7pm and 9pm.

Not even a full moon

The moon that night was not full, but it was relatively bright.

The full moon will appear on Sunday night, March 28.

It will be called the full Worm Moon, a name derived from native American tribes that noticed earthworms appearing in the spring as the soil warmed.

There is a mundane explanation for this celestial phenomenon.

The halos are caused by light of the moon passing through a thin layer of cirruform (ice-crystal) clouds in the upper atmosphere.

The ice crystals refract the light of the moon, similar to the way water droplets in the lower atmosphere can refract sunlight to produce a rainbow.

If you like what you read, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Telegram to get the latest updates.