Colours in the sky (No, not a rainbow!)

[ancee]

Today driving home my daughter and I were stuck in traffic. Looking up into the sky ahead we could see what looked like a coloured cloud. It looked at first like the sun was hidden behind a cloud but the sun was further over to the left. The colours went from red, orange through green to yellow. It lasted a few minutes then just faded to white clouds. As we were gazing at it, my daughter took out her phone to get a photo, but couldn't zoom in close enough "Quick Mum get closer she said " excitedly, I tried to explain that I couldn't get any closer as the sky would always be that far away, but couldn't as I was laughing too much! Has anyone any idea what it was or what it's called? Happy Days

[zazen999]

Sunbow?

The Linear Legume: Sun-bow?

[ancee]

Is that a real name Zaz? Or the name the man made up? Ours didn't turn into a rainbow though. I can remember years ago, something about a phenomenom (bad spelling I know!) happening when the wind blew snow crystals off mountain tops and the sun shone through it and created these colours in the sky. They had a name for it but it wasn't sunbow

[ancee]

It occurred to me to google it! It's called a circumhorizon arc - please everyone look them up, they are amazing

[ancee]

Also re-read the post.... It's you Zazzen!!!

[Bren In Pots]

Just looked on google and they do look pretty, one was over our way a few years ago but nothing as spectacular as those photos.

[scarey55]

Was it like this:



We saw this whilst we were walking our dogs. The photo doesn't really do it justice. I have never seen anything like it before, it was stunning.

[Nicos]

Never seen one- what fantastic links!!!

...sort of as exciting as the Northern lights - as far as colours go!

[julesapple]

I've seen tiny patches of those. Also, we once saw a nacreous cloud when we lived in AP country - that was an experience. You never have the camera when you see these things....

[WendyC]

We saw an upsidedown rainbow last year or year before. V strange.

[Mikey]

Are you sure it wasn't you that was upside down Wendy?

[PyreneesPlot]

We saw an upsidedown rainbow last year or year before. V strange.

Visiting Feral?

[ancee]

A little bit scarey55. It was more of a cloud which was covered in rainbow splashes of paint! Almost like someone had flown by in a plane and tipped loads of colours onto a cloud!

[beefy]

Coloured clouds???? sounds very like nacreous clouds .Did it look anything like this??-
Nacreous clouds - Atmospheric Optics