Astrophoto: Spectacular 22-Degree Sun Halo Over Kuala Lumpur

A 22 degree Sun halo was seen in Kuala Lumpur on October 2, 2012. Credit: Shahrin Ahmad

Denizens of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia were treated to a stunning mid-day meteorological phenomenon today (October 2, 2012,) a Sun Halo. A ‘rainbow’ of sorts forms around the Sun (or the Moon, too) when the light is refracted by ice crystals from high cirrostratus clouds.

News reports said the spectacle began around 12.30pm local time, “a sight which drew gasps of wonder from office workers on their way to lunch.”

Shahrin Ahmad captured the beautiful view and sent it to Universe Today.

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“This is among the cleanest view of the Halo I’ve seen so far, and created quite a buzz everywhere,” he said.

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Nancy Atkinson

Nancy has been with Universe Today since 2004, and has published over 6,000 articles on space exploration, astronomy, science and technology. She is the author of two books: "Eight Years to the Moon: the History of the Apollo Missions," (2019) which shares the stories of 60 engineers and scientists who worked behind the scenes to make landing on the Moon possible; and "Incredible Stories from Space: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Missions Changing Our View of the Cosmos" (2016) tells the stories of those who work on NASA's robotic missions to explore the Solar System and beyond. Follow Nancy on Twitter at https://twitter.com/Nancy_A and and Instagram at and https://www.instagram.com/nancyatkinson_ut/