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'Halo' spotted around the Moon across England

Sophie Madden
BBC News
Sienna Anderson Newtown Creek, Isle of WightSienna Anderson
The halo around the Moon was seen over the Isle of Wight, among other places, on Saturday evening

A "lunar halo" has been spotted in the night skies.

The ring around the Moon was seen over the skies on Saturday evening in Staffordshire, the West Midlands, Surrey, Berkshire, Dorset, Yorkshire, Cumbria, Derbyshire and the Isle of Wight.

The phenomenon is caused by the refraction of moonlight from ice crystals in the upper atmosphere.

According to the Met Office, the halo can mean rainfall might be approaching.

Pacamac Ashbourne, DerbyshirePacamac
The halo is seen in Ashbourne in Derbyshire
Sue Ketteridge PooleSue Ketteridge
The halo as seen over Poole's Old Town in Dorset
Lynne Smith Cheadle, StaffordshireLynne Smith
The phenomenon is caused by light refracting through ice crystals, as spotted in Cheadle, Staffordshire
Jono/Weather Watchers Lindley, KirkleesJono/Weather Watchers
The halo, a sign that rain might be coming, was also seen in Kirklees, West Yorkshire

It added: "The halo is caused by ice crystals formed in high clouds.

"These ice crystals then refract the light from the Moon or Sun.

"As the ice crystals travel lower, precipitation becomes more likely. In summer months particularly, the Halo can be a sign of approaching storms."

traindriver_Surrey Surreytraindriver_Surrey
The halo was seen over the skies in Surrey on Saturday night
Roger Steadman ShirleyRoger Steadman
And over Shirley in the West Midlands
Anna Butcher Sindlesham, Wokingham, BerkshireAnna Butcher
The lunar halo was also seen over Wokingham in Berkshire
Jonny Gios Moon halo, Kendal, CumbriaJonny Gios
And in Kendal, Cumbria

Geographer Simon Collins said he was "delighted" to catch a glimpse of the moment.

"I'm a keen weather observer [and] run a local weather station so am always delighted to see lovely weather phenomena as so many others did last night as well," the 57-year-old, who took a photo in Reigate, Surrey on Saturday night, said.

Some described witnessing the occurrence as "amazing", with others described it as "very weird" and "like a night time rainbow".

James Donald Sevenoaks, SurreyJames Donald
The halo as seen over Sevenoaks
Sutton Coldfield
The halo was also captured over Sutton Coldfield
Endon, Staffordshire
It was also seen over Endon in Staffordshire
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