Online Reporter
B-Metro Reporter
BULAWAYO woke up to drama in the heavens today and, as usual, netizens ran straight to Bmetro’s inbox armed with theories hotter than a sizzling Sunday braai.
An image of a gigantic ring of light circling the sun sent residents into a frenzy, with some claiming it was a sign of ancestral messages, others whispering about “secret rituals,” and one brave soul insisting it was “a portal opening over Makokoba.”
“I swear this is not normal. Something is happening in the spirit realm,” wrote a follower who refused to be convinced otherwise.
Another said, “Guys that ring is too perfect. This is the work of powerful forces.”
But before anyone grabs holy water or sage sticks, experts say Bulawayo experienced a completely natural, totally harmless and scientifically explainable event known as a solar halo, specifically a 22 degree halo.
The phenomenon occurs when sunlight passes through millions of tiny, hexagonal ice crystals floating way up in the upper atmosphere. These little crystals, found in high altitude cirrus or cirrostratus clouds, act like miniature prisms that bend the sunlight at exactly 22 degrees. The result is the dramatic ring that had half of the city staring into the sky and the other half panicking in the comment sections.
The circle often appears as a bright white ring, though sometimes it shows soft rainbow colours with red on the inside and blue on the outer edge thanks to the clever tricks of light dispersion.
Old school weather lore says a ring around the sun means rain or a storm is loading soon. And yes, there’s some truth to it because those same icy clouds usually float ahead of an approaching weather system.
Just one important reminder. The halo is safe to admire but the sun is not. Never stare directly at it unless you want to spend the week blinking like a faulty traffic light.
So breathe, Bulawayo. No rituals. No portals. No cosmic warnings. Just Mother Nature doing a bit of atmospheric showboating.
