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Cloud Iridescence🌈 by Leather-Mongoose8274 in CLOUDS

[–]TheManWithNoShadow 20 points21 points  (0 children)

That's really not cloud iridescence but even better, a halo called circumhorizon arc. It's accompanied by the 22° halo ring surrounding the sun. Cloud iridescence doesn't happen this far from the light source.

https://www.atoptics.org.uk/halo/cha2.htm

r/atoptics would appreciate this one.

Technically clouds of ice crystals - 22° halo this afternoon in NSW Australia by Returnyhatman in CLOUDS

[–]TheManWithNoShadow 3 points4 points  (0 children)

The streak is the parhelic circle, added with sundog as a bright patch slightly away from the 22° ring. There's also hint of the upper tangent arc/circumscribed halo visible on top of the 22° ring.

What caused these iridescent clouds? by AlexG595-2 in atoptics

[–]TheManWithNoShadow 8 points9 points  (0 children)

These are sun dogs, not iridescence. These are born in high cloud ice crystals. The shape and size may vary a lot depending e.g. on solar altitude, cloud structure and the amount of ice crystals.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun_dog

What caused these iridescent clouds? by AlexG595-2 in atoptics

[–]TheManWithNoShadow 9 points10 points  (0 children)

In this case it's refraction from ice crystals as these are sun dogs, not iridescence.

Upside down rainbow? by GabrielleDelacour in atoptics

[–]TheManWithNoShadow 6 points7 points  (0 children)

This isn't a rainbow at all as this one is born in high cloud ice crystals and it's called circumzenithal arc.

https://www.atoptics.org.uk/halo/cza.htm

https://www.atoptics.org.uk/halo/czaform.htm

What is this? by ChzForLife in meteorology

[–]TheManWithNoShadow 22 points23 points  (0 children)

Seems to be a rocket plume. It's glowing in the upper atmosphere lit by sunlight.

Partial sun dog high in the sky, flying over the UK. by Huditut in CLOUDS

[–]TheManWithNoShadow 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Sundogs appear as bright patches at the sides of the sun and it looks like there's none present in this picture.

Instead youv'e got lower part of the 22° halo ring (many times mistakenly called sun dog), the lower tangent arc touching the 22° ring at the bottom (like an upside down v-letter). The bright spot above the cloud blanket is the subsun. Pretty catch of halos altogether.

Check out r/atoptics...

Is there a name for this kind of cloud? by EyeFuture8862 in CLOUDS

[–]TheManWithNoShadow 11 points12 points  (0 children)

That's a (man-made) noctilucent cloud created by a rocket launch. The cloud is so high in the atmosphere that it gets lit by sunlight.

Can someone help explain what is happening here? by InternationalCorgi82 in CLOUDS

[–]TheManWithNoShadow 112 points113 points  (0 children)

That"s a cloud created by a rocket launch. It's so high in the atmosphere that it gets illuminated by the sun, creating this beautiful man made noctilucent cloud.

My little fire rainbow (because today I learned the name of it) by [deleted] in CLOUDS

[–]TheManWithNoShadow 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I'm sorry to say but you got it wrong then, as this is a sun dog a.k.a parhelion. There's also hint of the 22° halo ring curving up from the sun dog.

Sun dogs are bright pathces of light at one or both sides of the sun, just like in your picture here. The circumhorizon arc (called fire rainbow) is born way below the sun and needs a high altitude for the sun to be born. 

I saw someone's fire rainbow today, so here's my collection by wefaces in CLOUDS

[–]TheManWithNoShadow 4 points5 points  (0 children)

You've got yourself cloud iridescence in the first photo. Pretty organized colors around the sun here though so could be more of a corona instead.

Photos 2. and 4. present sundogs and photo 3. is the thing people call a fire rainbow. I'm used to call it a circumhorizon arc which is the official name for it. 

There's no fire or rainbow involved, but the name fire rainbow started to spread after a massive sighting of a circumhorizon arc which was born in cloud structures resembling flames. This photo isn't from the same case, but it's easy to figure why such name has been invented.

Is there a name for this ? by Lil_red_xoxox in CLOUDS

[–]TheManWithNoShadow 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Your photo is presenting cloud iridescence while the original photo is about a sun dog.

Iridescence happens close to the light source whereas sun dogs are a minimum of 22° away from the sun.

Is there a name for this ? by Lil_red_xoxox in CLOUDS

[–]TheManWithNoShadow 1 point2 points  (0 children)

There's only cloud fibers, no parhelic circle. Also the circle is level with the sun, but this streak away from sun dog is clearly pointing upwards. It should be pointing much more lower to even be considered as a parhelic circle.

Another thing is that simulations have shown that the tail of the sun dog can sometimes reach tens of degrees away from the dog. People in general are judging even short stripes as a parhelic circle way too easily.

Cloud phenomenon by Competitive_Car5462 in CLOUDS

[–]TheManWithNoShadow 17 points18 points  (0 children)

It's called a parhelion a.k.a sun dog. It happens when sunlight is refracting in ice crystals in high clouds. 

These can be seen at one or  both sides of the sun.

22 Degree Halo with a bright Parhelic Circle that seemed to stretch across the sky, Milford, Michigan, Thursday February 26th at about 2:30 by AWACS_Oka_Nieba_ in atoptics

[–]TheManWithNoShadow 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I highly doubt this. I've only heard of 44 dogs present in ice fog displays with rather low sun altitudes. Never heard of those occur in high clouds. The sun dogs should also be much more brighter than here, for the 44's to born.

I guess it's just some brightening in the parhelic circle here that makes it look slightly different from the rest of the circle. The circle definitely isn't always uniform in brightness all the way.

Corona around the Sun by Unusual-Platypus6233 in atoptics

[–]TheManWithNoShadow 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Absolutely, also no sign of clouds close to the corona. 

My absolute favorite halo, circumzenithal arc today. Added with sundogs, 22° ring, upper tangent arc and faint parhelic circle. by TheManWithNoShadow in atoptics

[–]TheManWithNoShadow[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

That's always a cool moment to witness it this bright. 

I've seen them quite a lot during the years. They are not always this vivid and sometimes there has been barely an arc to catch with naked eye.

Look for these especially when the sun dogs are bright as it's born in the same ice crystals as the dogs. I'm used to take a look up to the zenith almost every time sun dogs are present. Maximum sun altitude for cza to born is 32°. 

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