The Sky is Smiling: A Rare Complex Solar Halo
Taken by Anastasiia on December 25, 2025 @
Poland
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Details:
I was incredibly lucky to witness and capture this breathtaking atmospheric phenomenon. It’s a complex solar halocreated by billions of tiny ice crystals suspended in the freezing air.
The story behind this photo is very special to me. It was a crisp December morning during the holidays in Zakopane, Poland. My dad and I were headed to the thermal baths early in the morning when the sky suddenly transformed. I remember the magical feeling of tiny ice crystals — "diamond dust" — touching my face while everyone around stood in awe, staring at the sun.
In this single shot, you can see a perfect alignment of several rare elements:
A bright 22-degree halo circling the sun.
Vivid sun dogs (parhelia) glowing on the sides.
And the most beautiful part—the circumzenithal arc, which looks like a colorful "smile" at the very top.
To see all these arcs together, the temperature and the shape of the crystals had to be perfect. It was a true Christmas miracle in the Tatra Mountains!
To confirm the authenticity of this rare event, I am also attaching another original photo I took that same morning: a macro shot of the intricate, feather-like frost patterns that formed on a window pane.
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