Friday, May 13, 2022

Iridescent clouds


Iridescent clouds

Location           : Top of Saddleback Mountain, Kiama, NSW, Australia
Date                  : 2022-05-07  11am
Photographers: 1st one - Lisa Li.  Rest - Paul.




An iridescent cloud is an uncommon phenomenon, the result of diffraction ... small droplets of water or small crystals of ice individually scattering light.

If the small droplets/crystals are of similar size, their cumulative effect is seen as iridescent colours. The cloud must be optically thin, so that most rays encounter only a single droplet. Iridescence is therefore mostly seen at cloud edges or in semi-transparent clouds.


Here is another iridescent cloud I photographed 7 years ago.
Location: Gungartan Mountain, Kosciuszko National Park, NSW, Australia
Date       : 2015-03-13

Please visit my main page at https://mntviews.blogspot.com/

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