A glory is an optical effect that appears as a series of colored rings around the shadow of the observer's head or an aircraft, centered on the antisolar point. It occurs when light is backscattered by microscopic water droplets in mist or clouds. Unlike a rainbow, the rings are formed by complex wave interactions including diffraction and surface waves on the droplets.
Heard on the job
We saw a bright glory around the shadow of the plane as we descended through the cloud deck.