August 23, 2015: Fire rainbow

Undertoad · 08-23-2015, 11:53 AM

This rare weather phenomenon appeared above the Isle of Palms outside Charleston, South Carolina last Sunday. People call it a "fire rainbow" but its actual term is "circumhorizontal arc". The Verge wants you to call it that instead of calling it fire rainbow.

Hell with that. It's a fire rainbow.

The vivid rainbow colors result when the sunlight hits hexagonal ice crystals, at a particular angle, in wispy cirrus clouds. Only cirrus clouds, which float 20,000 feet (6,096 meters) above the ground, are cold enough for ice crystals to develop.

08-23-2015, 11:53 AM	#1
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	August 23, 2015: Fire rainbow This rare weather phenomenon appeared above the Isle of Palms outside Charleston, South Carolina last Sunday. People call it a "fire rainbow" but its actual term is "circumhorizontal arc". The Verge wants you to call it that instead of calling it fire rainbow. Hell with that. It's a fire rainbow. The vivid rainbow colors result when the sunlight hits hexagonal ice crystals, at a particular angle, in wispy cirrus clouds. Only cirrus clouds, which float 20,000 feet (6,096 meters) above the ground, are cold enough for ice crystals to develop.

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