In his book Kaleidoscope Sky, naturalist Tim Herd explains the gamut of wonders that one can see in our atmosphere, some of which are shown in this gallery.

An Austrian ski resort provided this image of ice crystals. The crystals act like prisms, bending the sunlight at no less than 22 degrees. Thus, that ring you see is called a 22-degree halo, and its inside appears dark because light is bent away from it.