Explanation: What's happening to this cloud? Ice crystals in a distant cirrus cloud are acting like little floating prisms. Known informally as a fire rainbow for its flame-like appearance, a circumhorizon arc appears parallel to the horizon. For a circumhorizontal arc to be visible, the Sun must be at least 58 degrees high in a sky where cirrus clouds present below -- in this case cirrus fibrates. The numerous, flat, hexagonal ice-crystals that compose the cirrus cloud must be aligned horizontally to properly refract sunlight in a collectively similar manner. Therefore, circumhorizontal arcs are somewhat unusual to see. The featured fire rainbow was photographed earlier this month near North Fork Mountain in West Virginia, USA.
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11 comments:
Simply beautiful.
As far as I am concerned any rainbow improves a day - and that one is spectacular. Sadly I doubt I will ever see one for myself.
Very educational!
Never even heard of this phenomenon before!
Sue - And you know if you do see one you won't have a camera handy.
Kathy - There's a test on this tomorrow.
Deb - I hadn't either.
Wow. Just, wow.
Bill - What do you think our chances of ever seeing one are? Zero? WAIT! Climate change!
Beautiful!
Beautiful!
John - You have a good view of the sky on your deck. Have that camera ready!
CC - And unusual.
This is sooooo cool! I've never heard, or imagined, such a thing. Amazing! Thanks!!
Allen - It was new to me also.
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