Winter Rainbow and Aurora in Leningrad Region

On the afternoon of January 21, an unusually bright rainbow was observed in the sky over the Leningrad Region, which is a rarity for the winter period.

Reports of its appearance came from eyewitnesses in the Kirishsky District and the vicinity of Kudrovo.

In cold weather, an optical phenomenon called a halo sometimes occurs, which can be mistaken for a rainbow.

It forms when sunlight is refracted in ice crystals of cirrus clouds, creating white or multicolored arcs and rings around the sun.

That same night, the northern lights could be seen in the sky over Lodeynoye Pole.

Photographer Katya Strelnikova published her photos on the Telegram channel «AstroPhotoBoloto».

«The aurora was overhead all night, and at one point, in one of the clearings, it flared up incredibly brightly and textured. And this is what I managed to catch with minimal clouds,» she said.

The aurora on the night of January 21 was seen by residents of many regions of Russia, and the day before, on January 20, this phenomenon was even recorded from space.