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Astronomy Picture of the Day
NASA ^ | 6/18/08 | Kari Nyman

Posted on 06/18/2008 2:14:06 PM PDT by sig226


Pyramid Ice Crystal Halos Over Finland
Credit & Copyright:
Kari Nyman

Explanation: What if the atmosphere above you became one gigantic lens? This actually happens when a nearly transparent sheet of pyramid shaped ice crystals falls from the sky in a common orientation. These ice-crystals act together like millions of miniature ice mirrors, with external and internal reflections from different faces creating arcs and halos of different radii. An amazing display of pyramid ice crystal halos was captured on June 5 above Tampere, Finland. Visible above are very unusual sun halos of 9, 18, 20, 23, and 24 degrees. In contrast, thin and flat falling ice crystals will produce a halo of 22 degrees only. The high clouds containing the ice crystals are faintly visible, as are some sundogs. The usual Sun image was covered behind a light post, and the above image was significantly digitally sharpened. It is not currently known how large areas of nearly uniform pyramidal ice crystals form.


TOPICS: Astronomy Picture of the Day
KEYWORDS: apod

1 posted on 06/18/2008 2:14:08 PM PDT by sig226
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To: fnord; Number57; KevinDavis; rdb3; MNJohnnie; thoughtomator; RightWhale; proudofthesouth; ...

2 posted on 06/18/2008 2:15:06 PM PDT by sig226 (Real power is not the ability to destroy an enemy. It is the willingness to do it.)
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To: sig226

Cool — looks like an eyeball from the Outer Limits or such...


3 posted on 06/18/2008 2:17:54 PM PDT by mikrofon (Astro BUMP)
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To: sig226

Sauron is watching...


4 posted on 06/18/2008 2:41:53 PM PDT by PzLdr ("The Emperor is not as forgiving as I am" - Darth Vader)
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To: sig226

Oooooooooohhhhmmmmmmmm. Ooooooooohhhhhmmmmmm. Oooooooohhhhmmmm.


5 posted on 06/18/2008 4:38:49 PM PDT by LiberConservative ("Typical" White Guy)
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To: LiberConservative
So that's the host that's in the sun....
6 posted on 06/18/2008 4:48:38 PM PDT by BenLurkin
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To: PzLdr
Nah, she dropped out of the race.


7 posted on 06/18/2008 6:43:42 PM PDT by sig226 (Real power is not the ability to destroy an enemy. It is the willingness to do it.)
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To: sig226
She's in a different race.

I still believe she's got a deal with the devil goin' on--and the game isn't over.

8 posted on 06/18/2008 6:44:52 PM PDT by bannie
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To: sig226

Wrong epic. She had a cameo in “The Wizard of Oz”. A house dropped on her.


9 posted on 06/18/2008 10:35:53 PM PDT by PzLdr ("The Emperor is not as forgiving as I am" - Darth Vader)
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