Hmm - on this monitor I don't see what I would call artifacts -- the second shot looks like there was some sort of internal reflection in the lens elements, and maybe a bit of flare forming a slight halo along the bright side (although that could be atmospheric haze or slight condensation on the lens too).
My equipment is woefully inadequate to such a task, but I'm glad to see I wasn't the only one freezing behind my 40D the other night!