BILOXI, Miss. (WLOX) - If you happened to step outside Sunday night and looked up at the moon, you may have noticed that it was surrounded by a halo of light. This is called a lunar halo.

While not a rare occurrence, lunar halos do not happen every night.

They typically happen when thin cirrus clouds streak across the night sky during a full or waxing moon. The moonlight is refracted off the ice crystals in the cirrus clouds, causing a halo to appear around the moon.

Some believe that a lunar halo is a sign of rain, and while this can sometimes be true, it does not always mean rain is on the way. However, in the case of this week, the deck of cirrus clouds moving in across the Gulf Coast is a sign that a wetter pattern is in store for South Mississippi this week.

Lunar halo captured by Lynn Mondragon in Vancleave, MS — Lunar halo captured by Lynn Mondragon in Vancleave, MS(WLOX)

Lunar halo captured by Laura Leonard in Ocean Springs, MS. — Lunar halo captured by Laura Leonard in Ocean Springs, MS.(WLOX)

Lunar halo captured by Gabe in Saucier, MS. — Lunar halo captured by Gabe in Saucier, MS.(WLOX)

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