22° Halo over Southport

An impressive 22° halo around the Sun showed itself this afternoon, over Southport’s sea shore. 

Such halos form as sunlight (or moonlight) is refracted by millions of hexagonal ice crystals that are suspended in the atmosphere. Its radius, as viewed from Earth, is about the length of an outstretched hand at arm’s length.

See also: https://www.otsnews.co.uk/circumzenithal-arc-witnessed-over-lancashire-this-afternoon/