Rainbow-hued halo spotted around Sun in Dehradun. Check out the amazing view!

A lazy Sunday afternoon turned beautiful when the skies of Dehradun became colourful. The capital city of Uttarakhand presented its residents with a beautiful natural phenomenon, where a colourful halo was spotted surrounding the Sun. The halo was seen on July 24 and many people, who witnessed the phenomenon, quickly took a picture and posted the amazing view on the social media platforms. Within minutes, the photos went viral, it is such a rare sight to see!


The halo is scientifically called the '22-degree halo’. It is called so because it shows a rainbow-hued halo surrounding the Sun at an angle of 22 degrees. This optical phenomenon is rare, which is why it captured the attention of many social media users.


According to Meteorological Centre Director Bikram Singh, the halo occurs when a million or more ice crystals refract the sunlight in the atmosphere. According to another website, the sunlight should refract and reflect from the ice crystals. Moreover, the crystals should be aligned perfectly for a viewer’s eyes to see the halo. Being a city located at the footsteps of hills, Dehradun had the feasible conditions that resulted in the halo formation.

Halos are also personal as they appear different to every other observer, depending on the alignment of the crystals. Every person sees the halo differently because the alignment for one person is different from the alignment for the other.

While the Sun's halo is beautiful, experts believe it can harm the eyes if proper caution is not exercised. Facing the Sun directly without any obstruction can be damaging. So, while taking photos, make sure you click them with safety precautions in place.

The social media was flooded with multiple photos from different users, each sharing their version of the halo. While some called it mesmerizing, others called it incredible and never seen before moment. A few users also described the halo as a view of paradise.