Daytime Phenomena

[TopHouse]

OK, maybe it's because I spend more time looking up now than i ever have, but saw something today i have NEVER seen before, it's been rather hot in the UK today, and there was absolutely no sign of rain, this was almost directly overhead.

[brianb]

That's a circumzenithal arc (CZA) - not often seen but not amazingly rare when you have a veil of cirrostratus cloud in the upper atmosphere. One of the class of phenomena caused by refraction in ice crystals.

Your photograph is an unusually good example.

[Dalglish]

Wow, I haven't seen one of those before. I saw a set of sun dogs three weeks ago. Can anybody explain how they are formed?

[LukeSkywatcher]

Wow, I haven't seen one of those before. I saw a set of sun dogs three weeks ago. Can anybody explain how they are formed?

Essentially from what i understand they are formed in the same way (re: brian's post). I saw a very impressive example of a solar halo last week. It stretched a good quarter of the way around the Sun and was very bright and vivid in red and green. A couple of yrs ago i saw a similar halo that went around the whole Sun.

[TopHouse]

Thanks for the info Brian, That's a circumzenithal arc, my description is easier... a sunbow

[Talitha]

Beautiful image, TopHouse! Les Cowley has a wonderful website that has all sorts of goodies, including your CZA... oops, i mean sunbow.

[Stryda]

Is it not a mother of pearl cloud?

heres a couple of pics of some strange clouds a couple of weeks ago..

[yeti monster]

Whilst nocturnal clouds are the bane of our common interest, their daytime counterparts are a fascination to me, as well as a good many others around the world:

The Cloud Appreciation Society

[LukeSkywatcher]

Whilst nocturnal clouds are the bane of our common interest, their daytime counterparts are a fascination to me, as well as a good many others around the world:

The Cloud Appreciation Society

I love daytime cloud formations. Its the nasty night time ones i hate.

[Bryndalf]

Great photos, I didnt realise there were so many different effects in the day time sky

I might spend a bit more time looking for them now rather than swearing at them

[blacksaltire]

back in 1995 i was lucky enough to be working in Barbados and caught the most amazing "sunbow" it was huge and so vivid.

[TopHouse]

See! I don't know why these sciency type people go to all that trouble of inventing hard names for things, if it's raining you can get a rainbow, if it's sunny but not raining you can get a 'sunbow' easy peasy! I can do science me!

[R2-ditt0]

See! I don't know why these sciency type people go to all that trouble of inventing hard names for things, if it's raining you can get a rainbow, if it's sunny but not raining you can get a 'sunbow' easy peasy! I can do science me!

I would prefer a STRONGBOW.....a nice cold one if its sunny:D

[MikeD]

Nice catch topHouse.

Stryda... that 2nd shot looks like a big thumb in the sky.

Mike.

[TopHouse]

Nahhhh, it's an easter island statue with fluffy earmuffs on looking at whatever's top left of the picture