[monkey324]

What does it mean I saw one today

[JimGunther]

I took a lot of astronomy in college and learned that objects in space that remain constant in their appearance can look different based upon conditions in the atmosphere above the Earth. As an example, the Moon looks larger when it is near the horizon than when it directly above your head because you are looking through more air when it is near the horizon, and air dissipates light, making the image look bigger, and sometimes to change color as well.

Except for specific features, such as sunspots and solar flares, the appearance of the Sun never changes. At least not for a few billions years. What you saw was likely the result of water molecules or dust, or other particles in the atmosphere, These scatter light even more than air itself does, and could have temporarily caused a halo.

[amricca]

The ring around the sun or moon is caused by ice crystals within thin cirrus clouds. The refraction causes light to shine into a ring. Cirrus clouds are generally the first layer of clouds that are seen as a storm system approaches.

Did it look like this: Joe Orman's Photo Pages - Ring Around the Sun