One of the unusual, fantastically beautiful andAt the same time, a fiery rainbow is considered to be extremely rare natural phenomena. So scientists dubbed the atmospheric phenomenon - a near-horizontal (or rounded-horizontal) arc, appearing against the background of light altitude clouds, composed of ice crystals. This atmospheric glow arises spontaneously - unlike the usual rainbow, it does not rain before the fiery one.
Factors in the sky fiery rainbow
Rare lucky on Earth manages to watch itunique natural phenomenon. How is a rainbow of fire formed and what is its harbinger? One of the main factors for the occurrence of a rounded-horizontal arc is the geographical location - the latitudes of the northern and southern hemisphere, located no more than 55 degrees from the equator. Another important condition for scientists is the presence of cirrus clouds - filamentary snow-white inhabitants of the upper troposphere, which let in sunlight. Ice crystals, from which cirrus clouds are formed, must assume a horizontal position relative to the ground. The daytime light is usually located high in the sky, at a distance of 6,000 km and more.
Sophisticated fantasy mother nature
The magic of the appearance of stunning color flicker onThe sky is amazingly simple. In summer, the bright glow of cirrus clouds is caused by the refraction of sunlight. In order for a rainbow of fire to arise, the rays of the sun must be oriented at an angle of 58 degrees to the horizon. They penetrate the side wall of each ice crystal of hexagonal shape and continue their way through its lower face. In chains consisting of frozen hexahedra, the sun's rays "run through" all the faces of the natural structure, to the last piece of ice, and "cut out" the fire. The peak of brightness of this unusual natural phenomenon, according to meteorologists, can be observed when the sun shines on cirrus clouds at an angle of 68-69 degrees. This optical effect allows you to divide the light into spectral colors and visually get such an amazing phenomenon as a rainbow of fire. It can stretch over hundreds of square kilometers! Its halo is so large that the arc appears parallel to the horizon line.
Fiery rainbow: photo
Few who manage to resist the temptation to doown picture enchantingly beautiful and fascinating play of light. A chance to see this natural phenomenon in some American states: Idaho, New Jersey, Texas, in the cities of Houston and Los Angeles, is significantly higher, as the bright, highly located sun in these places can be observed for more than 700 hours!
