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PHOTOS: Sun halo seen from all across the South Coast

Sapperton, New Westminster. Credit: Tony Deise.

A sun halo was spotted from all over the South Coast on Wednesday. Dozens of Global News viewers snapped photos of the intriguing light display.

But how was it created?  The answer:  Ice crystals suspended high in the air refract or bend the sun rays, creating a beautiful halo around the sun. Sometimes this halo shows up in the colours of the rainbow.

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We had a thin veil of cirrostratus cloud over the South Coast on Wednesday. So thin, you could barely see it in some areas. The sky just looked whitish-blue.

This type of cloud is high in the atmosphere and is made up of ice crystals. These ice crystals act like little prisms which bend the light.

Sapperton, New Westminster. Credit: Tony Deise.
Richmond. Credit: Shan Poon.

But you have to be careful, looking directly at the sun is dangerous. Experts say to protect your eyes by covering the sun with an object or blocking it with trees or a building. It can also be harmful to your eyes to look at the sun through some camera view-finders.

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