Moon halo lights up night sky over Ireland

Sky gazers were in for a celestial treat last night when a magnificent lunar halo could be spotted around the moon, with some even catching a glimpse of an incredible double halo.

A lunar halo is an atmospheric optical phenomenon that forms as the moonlight is refracted by millions of hexagonal ice crystals suspended in the atmosphere.

Double moon halo, Ireland, Monday night. iPhone 14 #Astrophotography ⁦@321MoonHourGirl⁩ ⁦@NASAMoon⁩ ⁦@MoonHourSocial⁩ ⁦@ThePhotoHour⁩ ⁦@StormHour⁩ pic.twitter.com/amHEZLSjDw

— SkyWatcher (Dave) (@SkyWatch07) January 24, 2024

Moon halos are, according to folklore, apparent warnings of approaching storms and can often appear days before a large storm front, although they are also associated with weather change.

People around Ireland flocked to social media to share snaps of the halo and Carlow Weatherman Alan O'Reilly was on hand with a bit more information.

As for tonight, the first full moon of the year, also known as the Wolf Moon, will be visible, weather permitting. 

The moon is expected to be visible for the whole night, appearing in the east just as the sun sets in the west.

During full moons, the moon and sun are directly opposite one another, separated by 180 degrees across the ecliptic, which is the imaginary path the sun travels across the sky, with the Earth directly in the middle of both.