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Ring Around The Sun: What Does It Mean?

DORAL (CBSMiami) -- Monday, a halo formed around the sun shining over South Florida. The CBSMiami newsroom was flooded with pictures and questions from people wondering what it is.

CBS4 Meteorologist Jeff Berardelli said it's nothing to be alarmed about. A halo around the sun is a fairly common phenomenon.

It is typically caused when there are very high, very thin clouds. These clouds, being so high in the sky, are made from ice crystals. The properties of the ice crystals reflect and refract light in such a way as to cause a ring around the sun.

Since high clouds typically proceed unsettled weather, it is said a halo around the sun or moon means rain or snow is on the way.

South Florida is in fact, expected to get some rain Monday afternoon.

So in this case, it is correct but it doesn't work every time.

Although typically caused by ice crystals high up in the atmosphere, the halo can also be caused by other fine particles in the air as well.

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