SAEDNEWS: Diamond dust is actually composed of tiny ice crystals that form near the ground due to extremely low air temperatures.
According to Saed News’ Science Service, diamond dust usually forms when a temperature inversion occurs, causing warm air to mix with colder air near the surface, which can be far below freezing. Because warmer air often holds more moisture as water vapor, this moisture can crystallize into ice at the extremely low surface temperatures.
These ice crystals, with their hexagonal geometry, can refract sunlight or moonlight like a prism, reflecting light in specific directions and creating unusual halos and arcs in the sky. Sometimes, these reflections appear like a giant eye staring back at you.
NASA’s Image of the Day, captured last week over the Ore mining region in the Czech Republic, shows a breathtaking view of the moonrise. In the photo, the moon rises through misty, icy air, revealing this spectacular phenomenon. The image features parhelia (moon dogs), tangent arcs, halos, and a parhelic circle.
On the left side of the image, columns of light appear above distant streetlights. Jupiter and Mars are also visible near the inner edge of the 22-degree halo—can you spot them?
These beautiful light phenomena result from the interplay of light with ice crystals, often observed in very cold regions under clear skies. They offer a rare display where science and art converge in nature’s own canvas.
