What is the ring that appeared around the sun in Saudi Arabia?

Arabia Weather - A strange phenomenon appeared in the sky of Saudi Arabia yesterday, and many video clips were published showing a circle around the sun, a distinctive scene. What is this circle? Is it a sign of rain?

What is the solar halo? Is it related to rainfall?

Answer: There is an ancient belief that the appearance of a ring around the moon or sun means that rain is approaching. There is some truth to this belief, because the high thin clouds that cause these halos often appear before the storm. Halos indicate the presence of thin clouds at an altitude exceeding 6 kilometers. But how do these clouds cause halos to appear?

The solar halo is known as a large ring of light that appears due to the presence of high clouds. These clouds contain millions of small ice crystals, and the halos that we see result from the refraction of light through these crystals, as well as from the reflection or shine of light from them, so that the halos appear clearly. The surfaces of the crystals must be oriented in a suitable position to reflect light toward the observer on the ground.

What are the ideal conditions for seeing the sun or moon's corona?

Answer: For conditions to be suitable for the formation of a corona around the Moon or the Sun, temperatures in the upper atmosphere must be low enough to form thin clouds laden with ice crystals, at an altitude of more than 6,000 metres. The precise shape and direction of the ice crystals are considered among the basic conditions for the appearance of coronas. It is important to distinguish between two types of auras:

• Halos are formed by low-level freezing drizzle during very cold weather. These halos only occur in polar regions or countries with harsh winters, such as Canada.
• Coronas that consist of ice crystals in high clouds. These can occur anywhere on the planet, whether in winter or summer, and this depends on the coverage of high clouds and their content of crystals that form the corona.

See also:

What is the reason for the appearance of a ring around the sun? Does this mean that rain is coming soon?

What is the moon's halo and why does it appear?

Sources:

Arab weather