Why is there a ring around the moon?

Have you ever looked up at the moon and wondered, 'What are those strange rings?"

There are a lot of old weather sayings and folklore surrounding the "ring around the moon" or "halo moon". One popular saying is "A ring around the sun or moon means rain or snow is coming soon", said ABC11 Chief Meteorologist Don Schwenneker.

"A lot of the weather sayings last and stick around because they were true over the years, but not every time," he said.

The ring around the moon is often seen with bright circles or arcs around it.

The ring is caused by the refraction of the light from the moon by ice or water particles in a Cirrus cloud that is high up in the atmosphere.

The sun can also have rings around it.