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Rare lunar phenomenon over Maidstone

Kent woke up to snow this morning, but those who looked up at the night sky around midnight last night had already been given a warning of what was to come.

There was what is known as a "22-degree halo" around the moon.

It happens only rarely when the moon is at a particular angle to the earth and the frozen water crystals in the earth's atmosphere refract the light in a certain way, so that the area immediately below the moon is not lit up.

Tomas Nemes took this picture in Maidstone
Tomas Nemes took this picture in Maidstone
The "moon halo" spotted over Medway. Picture: Paul Fouracre.
The "moon halo" spotted over Medway. Picture: Paul Fouracre.
The strange phenomenon over Maidstone last night
The strange phenomenon over Maidstone last night

The result last night was to give the appearance that a large black hole had been punched through the grey cloud cover around the moon, with the edge of the circle slightly more luminous than the rest - giving the "halo" effect.

One observer in Maidstone said: "To me it was not so much the halo that stood out, but the fact that it looked like there was a big hole in the sky."

Alex Whitewood captured this photo of the moon at around 10pm in South Willesborough, Ashford
Alex Whitewood captured this photo of the moon at around 10pm in South Willesborough, Ashford

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