Rainbow around the sun draws attention in NYC area

• Sun halo is caused by light refracting through ice crystals in the clouds
• Phenomenon was especially visible from the Jersey Shore
• %27Not something you see every day%2C%27 the National Weather Service says

What looked like a rainbow ring around the sun drew the attention of people in the New York City area earlier today, according to ABC News, Gothamist and other news organizations.

The colorful phenomenon is what's known as a sun halo and it is caused by ice crystals in the clouds, ABC reports. Sunlight refracts through the ice crystals at a 22-degree angle, causing the effect. We've posted here an image of a sun halo that appeared in Nairobi, Kenya, in 2008.

The type of cloud involved in this phenomenon is a cirrostratus cloud that sits high in the atmosphere and spreads a blanket of white across the sky, according to the NJ.com website.

The sun halo was especially visible along the Jersey Shore by people who'd come out to get a glimpse of Prince Harry, who toured the New Jersey coastline with Gov. Chris Christie earlier today, NJ.com reports.

"It's not that uncommon, but it's not something you see every day," Patrick O'Hara of the National Weather Service told the news organization.