Help Me Out... Is This Some Weather Phenomenon?

[Bailey Guns]

KC-46 flew over today and I noticed it had this weird halo around it. Didn't have the camera with me. 20 mins later another (or the same one) came over again. Same weird halo but this time I got a picture. A C-17 had come over as well but I didn't notice this halo effect. The C-17 was lower, though. The KC-46 was just skirting in and out of the lower edge of the overcast. Is there some physical explanation for this? Static electricity or something? Reflections from the clouds? I don't think I've ever noticed this before.

ETA: The C-17 was also not directly overhead, either. It was maybe 1/4 mile off to the right in relation to the right wing of the KC-46. Maybe it was just because it was directly overhead.

[Gman]

St. Elmo's Fire?

ETA: Nah, that looks different.

Are the aircraft flying through smoke or ash, or is it just overcast?

[Bailey Guns]

After a search it's probably just because the plane was directly below where the sun was at the time. That's maybe why it's got the bright outline. I found something called a "glory" but that's more like a rainbow-colored, round halo. I've never seen St Elmo's Fire but I always thought that had more of a lightning bolt look.

[00tec]

After a search it's probably just because the plane was directly below where the sun was at the time. That's maybe why it's got the bright outline. I found something called a "glory" but that's more like a rainbow-colored, round halo. I've never seen St Elmo's Fire but I always thought that had more of a lightning bolt look.

You found a "glory" in BFE Oklahoma? Interesting

[Bailey Guns]

You found a "glory" in BFE Oklahoma? Interesting

We might be talking about two different things.

[Gman]

Yeah, St. Elmo's Fire has fingers like lightning.

[ray1970]

Could be something to do with this blood red sunrise I caught the other day.

[BushMasterBoy]

The moisture in the air being compressed creates an optical effect called "refraction". Water droplets in air are usually spherical. These airborne spheres act as a magnifying glass concentrating the light from above.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Refraction

Moisture is really noticeable in this F-18 flyby...

[BushMasterBoy]

Another extreme example of moisture being compressed out of the atmosphere by F-15's of the 48th TFW in Wales, at a place they call "Mach Loop".

[Gman]

Love the Mach Loop videos. Also love these here in the US (although there isn't as much water vapor around the Mojave):

https://youtu.be/a-HsDA_cPqY