No, the aliens are not attacking. It’s just a Lunar Halo.

Lunar+Halo+over+downtown+Gloucester+Thursday+night.

Dylan Orlando

Lunar Halo over downtown Gloucester Thursday night.

DYLAN ORLANDO, Staff Writer

Last night, as many people looked up at the sky, they were amazed to see such a large ring of light around the moon. 

This common scientific event happens often in the winter. The ring of light is caused by ice particles floating within a high altitude cirrus or cirrostratus cloud. The light reflected off the moon bounces around through the ice, and the ice reflects that light at a twenty-two-degree angle, creating the circle. 

The lunar halo is often a sign of wet weather ahead, as cirrus clouds are often at the front of a storm. This trend will seemingly remain constant, as rain is forecasted for the morning of January 12th.