Supermoon dazzles with a halo in the night sky
BBC | 05.12.2025 16:37
The last supermoon of 2025 dazzled bright in the night sky on Thursday night.
Appearing brighter and larger than a normal full Moon, the third supermoon of the year was also spotted by some in the UK with an atmospheric phenomenon called a halo.
This halo even has its own folklore - 'Ring around the Moon, rain real soon'.
It was a perfect opportunity for sky gazers around the world, along with the BBC's Weather Watchers, to get capture some stunning images.
Supermoon's occur because the Moon's orbit around Earth is not perfectly circular, but slightly elliptical - meaning it is sometimes closer to us than at other times.
When the Moon is in "perigee" - or near its closest point to Earth - and that coincides with a full Moon, fully illuminated by the sun's light, we call it a supermoon.
The Moon appears larger and brighter in the night sky.
Clear skies will also mean a great view of the Moon but sometimes you might also see a ring around the Moon.
Known as a 22 degree halo, this occurs when there is a layer of very high, ice cloud in the sky.
Light from the Moon passes through the ice crystals where it bends and reflects creating the ring effect.
The presence of a the ice cloud in the sky can be an indicator of an approaching weather system and hence why the folklore suggests 'rain real soon'.
Early on Friday morning high ice cloud moved in across southern areas of England where the halo was spotted.
So, rain real soon?
Yes, rain will be spreading to most parts of the UK during Friday with a strengthening wind.
