It was all eyes to the skies across Greater Manchester tonight to catch a glimpse of a rare - and eerie - natural phenomenon.
Stargazers were left scratching their heads - and posting on social media for help and information - after the moon appeared silhouetted by a dazzling ring.
The Manchester Evening News was sent a number of stunning images of the strange sight over Greater Manchester, with Facebook and Twitter filled with even more.
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"Why is there a ring of light around the moon?" asked one reader. "Lunar halo visible in Prestwich. Never seen one before it's amazing!" said another Facebook poster on a local group site.
According to Space.com, the phenomenon is called a moon halo or a lunar halo and although you might not have seen one before, they're said to be not as rare as you might think.
It's said to be an optical illusion that causes a large bright ring to surround the moon.
"This striking and often beautiful halo around the moon is caused by the refraction of moonlight from ice crystals in the upper atmosphere," writes Space.com.
"In effect, these suspended or falling flecks of ice mean the atmosphere is transformed into a giant lens causing arcs and halos to appear around the moon or the sun depending on whether the effect is happening during the night or day respectively.
"The effect is so striking that it has given rise to a wealth of folklore and superstition, and was used not entirely unsuccessfully used to predict the onset of bad weather."
A moon halo is said to be created when light is refracted, reflected and dispersed through ice crystals suspended in clouds high up in the night sky.
The shape of the crystals focuses light into a halo.
"These ice crystals also demonstrate a prism effect that separates white light from the sun or is reflected by the moon into various individual colours just like the atmospheric effect that creates a rainbow," they write.
There are said to be various types of moon halos, but all are created by the interaction of moonlight with ice crystals in the atmosphere. The crystals then act as prisms, bending and reflecting the moonlight to create the halo appearance.
Whatever the science, it's a stunning sight in the skies of Greater Manchester.
Make sure to send any of your best images to our Facebook page or newsdesk@men-news.co.uk
