Iridescent Cloud from Above

Sometimes we can see several colors of red, blue or green in edge of cirrus or altocumulus in higher sky. These colors appeared when water droplets of nearly uniform size in clouds diffract sunlight. This relatively rare phenomenon is known as Cloud Iridescence.

The mechanism of cloud iridescence is quite same with the case of corona light around the sun or moon.

Here are photos an iridescent cloud that my friend, Andre Obidos took  while on board an airplane going to Cebu. He shared them to me when he came back to Manila. Thanks, Dre.

To me, it looks like a head of a colorful bird such as a Lorikeet. It’s beautiful, isn’t it?

Nature is really full of God’s wonderful surprises.

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