Another group of stunning cloud photos have appeared online - this time the dazzling array is being called a "fire rainbow cloud," according to the Telegraph.
The effect is called "cloud iridescence." It's a natural occurrence that happens when sunlight reflects off water in the clouds, as explained by Weather Channel senior meteorologist Nick Wiltgen.
"In clouds, iridescence is a by-product of sunlight being diffracted by water droplets or ice crystals, causing the various wavelengths of light, which we see as colors, to emerge at different angles," said Wiltgen. "As they reach the observer's eye, the observer perceives a pattern of various colors as those different wavelengths reach his or her eye from distinct directions, rather than being jumbled together and appearing whitish."
Rainbow in a CloudA rare beauty - a colourful spectacle, as a dissipating high altitude cloud bends the rays of the rising sun.
Posted by Edmundo Jenez on Saturday, 10 October 2015
As previously reported by HNGN, a similar event occurred in Costa Rica, with many viewing that event as a possible sign from God.
This particular "fire rainbow cloud" appeared in the Caribbean port town of Ocho Rios.
Beckie Bone Dunning said that she's never seen anything like it. "I didn't have a clue what it was," she said. "I pointed up and said 'oh my God look, at the sun!' Then, the guests at the resort all started looking and snapping pictures."
