Saturday, June 24, 2006

RAINBOW


This is gorgeous and rare. It's called a circumhorizontal arc and it's caused by light passing through high altitude Cirrus clouds. The sight occurs only when the sun is very high in the sky, more than 58 degrees above the horizon. The hexagonal ice crystals that make up Cirrus clouds must be shaped like thick plates with their faces parallel to the ground.

When light enters through a vertical side face of such an ice crystal and leaves from the bottom face it bends, in the same way that light passes through a prism. If the crystals in the Cirrus clouds are just right the clouds light up in the colour spectrum.

This was photographed on June 6 in the sky over northern Idaho near the Washington State border.

13 comments:

The Editor said...

Beautiful...

Link said...

'tis.

Unknown said...

Looks like part of the 'gay agenda' to me!

JahTeh said...

It's one of those things Nature throws us every once in a while. I remember standing out in the freezing cold watching the moon rise on the night it was the closest to earth. The colour changed from yellow to blood red and it was fabulous.

Considering those 450 animals species that like to bend it, I wouldn't be surprised Ron.

Link, have you had a meteor shower yet?

The Editor said...

Ron, I'm sometimes gay, but not in the hijacked sense of the word. Your sexuality is your business and I defend your right to it. I'm happy to love you like a brother (no, not an incestuous one), but you will never, NEVER get me to think of gay persons (or gay issues) when I see a rainbow in nature. Gay politics will not succeed in subverting the natural rainbow in my mind. In fact, I resent all such attempts. And if you want to read homophobia into this, that's your problem, not mine.

Unknown said...

Lighten up, Gerry, that comment was for JT (it is herblog) as she and I have been joking about 'the gay agenda'.

If you are still in an attacking mood, vegetarianism is mentioned in the latest post and you could do another ill-founded attack on that like you did at Link's place.

Let me know which blog(s) you are going to attack me on next and I'll be sure to avoid them.

R.H. said...

Take a joke Gerry.

Try.

JahTeh said...

If you don't stop fighting I'm coming to the Blue Mountains to sort you two out. I'll bring the big gun, RH that's you.

Gerry I can send you a copy of 'the gay agenda' which all the churchies use as proof that gays want to take over the world. Considering the state it's in, who'd want it.

The Editor said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
The Editor said...

Ron, I'll tell ya who needs to lighten up - you.

I have a go at vegans and you think I'm attacking you.

I have a go at the way causes have hijacked words and you think I'm attacking you.

I guess we'd better never have a go at anything in case someone who identifies with feels personally attacked.

By the way, Ron, what happens when you have a go at things which someone might identify with? Would they then be entitled to accuse you of attacking them.

I guess we willnever be able to ever have a go at anything lest those who iudentify with that thing feel attacked.

I guess this comment will now also be seen as a heinous attack on you.

I give up.

"Offence freely given to those who wish to take it!"

Anonymous said...

Amazing sight. Jahteh, know anything about efforfluorence or something like that? Happens in sea water.

Link said...

No bugger, I forgot about it. Its been a bit cold to stargaze, I've been sitting closely to the open fire and the last few nights doing you know what. I've become obsessed and addicted. But its I'm alot calmer just have to learn 'moderation' its a habit I won't be able to afford to keep up at this rate.

I'll be Mountain's side very soon (it is written) and I'll spiflicate them both.

JahTeh said...

Andrew do you mean when the sea glows at night? If I remember it's a species of algae and now I'll have to go looking or it will drive me crazy.

Link, am hunting out that pattern for you. It's called a jewell rug and the squares are only 2 inches square and 600 of them make a single bed size rug.