December 31, 2009 was significant in many ways. It marked the end of the year, of course, and also (debatably) the decade of the "zeros" or "naughties". :) It was also the second full moon for the month of December, known as a "Blue Moon".
In addition to all that, it was also only the second time in my life that I've seen a "moon halo":
(Click the image to enlarge.)
Moon halos occur when ice crystals in the atmosphere reflect light from the moon, similar to a rainbow.
(Click the image to enlarge.)
Both photos were taken by me, from San Jose, CA, with a 15 second exposure.
It's unfortunate I got those power lines in the picture.. wish I had noticed that at the time. Oh well.. I'll get a better shot next time! ;)
