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Worth1000 > Clouds  > Other > Circumhorizontal Arc
We sometimes catch a window, a glimpse of what's beyond. -Rush, "Mystic Rhythms"

EPOD (Earth Science Picture of the Day): http://epod.usra.edu/archive/epodviewer.php3?oid=391264

A circumhorizontal arc or circumhorizon arc (CHA), also known as a fire rainbow, is a halo or an optical phenomenon similar in appearance to a horizontal rainbow, but in contrast caused by the refraction of light through the ice crystals in cirrus clouds.

It occurs only when the sun is high in the sky, at least 58° above the horizon, and can only occur in the presences of cirrus clouds. It can thus not be observed at locations north of 55°N, except occasionally from mountains.

The phenomenon is quite rare because the ice crystals must be aligned horizontally to reflect the high sun. The arc is formed as light rays enter the horizontally-oriented flat hexagonal crystals through a vertical side face and exit through the horizontal bottom face. It is the 90° inclination that produces the well-separated rainbow-like colours and, if the crystal alignment is just right, make the entire cirrus cloud shine like a flaming rainbow. (Wikipedia)
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Clouds > Circumhorizontal Arc photo
Clouds > Circumhorizontal Arc photo
Clouds > Circumhorizontal Arc photo
Clouds > Circumhorizontal Arc photo
Clouds > Circumhorizontal Arc photo
Clouds > Circumhorizontal Arc photo
Clouds > Circumhorizontal Arc photo
Circumhorizontal Arc photo
Camera: Eastman Kodak Company (Kodak Easyshare C743 Zoom Digital Camera) |
More details: exif |
Original size: 3072px x 2304px |
Current: 400px x 300px |
Other sizes: Small · M · L · O · save photo |
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Keywords: strange ice sky rainbow clouds weather atmosphere crystals cirrus cumulonimbus cumulous ice crystals circumhorizontal fire rainbow circumhorizontal arc
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