A natural phenomenon called a "lunar halo" has been spotted in the night sky across Wales. Tracy Sharp from Llanelli was among people left "truly amazed" when they saw the sight on Wednesday night and Thursday morning.

A "lunar 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.

It's said to be an optical illusion that causes a large bright ring to surround the moon. Although you might not have seen one before, they're said to be not as rare as you might think, according to website Space.com.

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"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."

They are not as rare as people may think

The Met Office told the BBC: "The halo is caused by ice crystals formed in high clouds. These ice crystals then refract the light from the Moon or Sun.

"As the ice crystals travel lower, precipitation becomes more likely. In summer months particularly, the Halo can be a sign of approaching storms."

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