Why did the moon look like it was glowing over Suffolk?

People around Suffolk were left baffled when at about 9pm on Thursday the moon appeared to look as it if was colourfully glowing. 

It only lasted for a matter of minutes before the moon returned to normal. 

According to space.com, this phenomenon is known as a luminescent moon or a lunar halo.

READ MORE: What to see in the sky in February: Snow Moon and Venus

The lunar halo had colourful rings (Image: Will Burton)

"A lunar halo is an optical illusion that causes a large bright ring to surround the moon," according to the website.

"This striking and often beautiful halo around the moon is caused by the refraction of moonlight from ice crystals in the upper atmosphere."

This rare sighting is part of old folklore and superstition and was used to predict the onset of bad weather - not unsuccessfully, given the wet weather that Suffolk has been experiencing.

A full snow moon will be visible in the skies above Suffolk on Friday and Saturday night. 

This is the smallest full moon of the year, at around 7% smaller than usual, and will be most visible just after midnight.

For the best view, astrologists encourage star-gazers to find somewhere remote and free of light pollution and to allow their eyes 15 minutes to adjust to the darkness to get the best view.