solar halo
- noun
- /ˈsoʊlər ˈheɪloʊ/
- Specialized
:
halo solar
- During the hike, we were amazed to see a beautiful solar halo around the sun in the clear blue sky.
Examples
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After the storm, a beautiful solar halo could be seen encircling the midday sun.
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Photographers gathered early in the morning to capture the appearance of a solar halo.
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The rare solar halo created a stunning circle of light above the snowy landscape.
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Look at that beautiful solar halo!
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The solar halo appeared just after noon.
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The photographer captured a stunning image of a solar halo that appeared during sunset, creating a mesmerizing effect.
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While observing the sky, we spotted a solar halo, which was formed by light refracting through ice crystals in the atmosphere.
Synonyms
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5.6
A circle of light around the sun or moon when ice in the air bends light
A bright ring across the sky at the same height as the sun formed when sunlight passes through ice crystals
A white or pale circle in the sky that runs along the horizon when sunlight hits ice crystals
A ring of light around the sun or moon seen in the sky
How Bright
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound meaning is directly predictable from 'solar' (relating to the sun) + 'halo' (a ring/circle of light): a ring of light associated with the sun. A B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer it refers to a luminous ring around the sun, even if they lack the technical atmospheric explanation.
Etymology
Solar halo comes from a simple picture: tiny ice crystals high in the sky bend the sun's light into a bright round 'ring of light' around the sun. That's why the word solar means 'sun' and halo means 'circle of light', so the whole phrase refers to that bright ring you can see 'around the sun'.