The Rare and The Beautiful! “Fire Rainbows” Also Known As Iridescent Clouds Appeared Unexpectedly In The US Sky

This is an exceedingly exquisite yet extremely uncommon natural phenomenon.

The images depict a fire rainbow – a highly unusual atmospheric phenomenon that is very rare in nature. Capturing these stunning pictures of the rainbow is a rarity.

The fire rainbow, also known as iridescent clouds, is scientifically named the circumhorizontal arc. Caused when ice crystals splits sunlight into different colours, they cause the sky to flicker with colour.

This phenomenon occurs only when the sun shines through tiny ice crystals that form at an altitude of thousands of meters. Rainbows usually appear at an altitude of 20,00 ft (~6000m), and the sun must be facing 58 degrees with these clouds.

The look like rainbows in flames, it’s not the rainbow we usually see, it’s actually long bands of colorful light near the clouds.

Fire rainbows, known by the proper name of circumhorizon arc, occur when cirrus clouds are far enough up in the air to form plate-shaped ice crystals.

Although they are frequently referred to as “fire rainbows,” they are actually a halo effect.

When the sun is at the right angle it hits the top of these plates and splits into different colours that are viewable on the ground.

The phenomenon is very rare because the water molecules have to line up in a horizontal line for sunlight to shine right in. Beside, this special phenomenon only last for short time about half an hour and it will be lucky if catch this rare sight.