Optical Phenomena Volume VI

[Hans Stocker]

Volume V ended with a link to the website of Ariel with some beautiful halos and a last rainbow by Duncan. Just check them befor diving into the next Volume.

A fresh start with a split up sundog peeping through the clouds.

Sundog

[Patricia L Keelin]

Ariel, I agree with Hans near the wrap up of Volume V. What a beautiful collection you’ve gathered! Duncan, that was a double dose of fun to end with.

And Hans, what a fabulous start to Volume VI! That peep is more than promising.

Autumn Halo

[Ruth Quist]

Keelin, that is a keeper.  Only thing missing is a yard chair.  Hans, wonderful sundogs and other fun features.

A Missile (friendly)

[Patricia L Keelin]

Ruth, I think this girl with a long ponytail hitched a ride on your friendly missile…

Free Ride!

[Ruth Quist]

Hans, looking at your sundog again.  Just a wonder picture for dreaming.

Keelin, yup, just have your gal hop on broad that friendly missile.

December’s Full Moon

[Ruth Quist]

Moon In The Trees

[Gregory Venarsky]

Love the moon shots. Sometimes those optical effects are the coolest of all. I especially love watching them on a warm spring night and following the cloud as they drift across the sky.

Here is a rainbow, from an absolutely stunning sunset. I may have done this during a shift at work. Luckily the boss didn’t see!

Drama

[Gregory Venarsky]

Another interesting shot. I think I may post this on the identification help as well. I believe it is a cloud bow, but not in the way that you usually see.

Hope you enjoy this one!

White Streak

[Hans Stocker]

You have my reaction on the identification help , Gregory.

You have to look well, but it is there…

Lowbow

[Ruth Quist]

Hans, way cool photo with the variety of colors.

Back Out At Night

[Hans Stocker]

Thanks Ruth. That’s a surprising corona in your Back Out At Night.

Walking The Sundog

[Patricia L Keelin]

Ruth, I love the way you capture the mood and the mystery in your elegant moon shots.

Gregory, glad you are looking out the window there! ;)

Hans, what a dramatic scene with that grand sky and the subtle coloring in your Lowbow. And I hope your sundog doesn’t slip while romping across a frozen pond.

Canine in a Cavum

[Ruth Quist]

Hans and Keelin, all I can say is ” winner winner chicken dinner”.  Both of your entrees are to die for.  Hans’s walking a sundog and Keelin with rainbows peeking through a fall streak.   So spectacular!!

Moon Burn

[Patricia L Keelin]

Thanks for your kind comments, Ruth. Your Moon burn is lovely, serene, humorous and charming ~~ and a favorite for sure. ’Twould be a fantastic start for a bedtime story.

Sun Splash

[Patricia L Keelin]

Oops! The photo above was supposed to go to B&W topic (my mistake).

Below is the intended one with an iridescent puppy chasing a sun ball. Hope he’s watching  out for Fall Streak holes!

Fetch!

[Ruth Quist]

Keelin, dogs love colorful balls and treats.  The artic weather has finally left our state.  Turning into an old-fashioned winter in MT this year.

Spumoni

[Hans Stocker]

Keelin, what a great Canine in a Cavum. Very clever title also. Quite a rare occasion to spot a sundog in the streaks of a fallstreak hole. I also love Sun Splash being a stray guest in this thread. 😊 Fetch shows a different stray fellow chasing a fiery ball. Very funny.

Love your Moon Burn Ruth. Great composition and play with light. And there is a tasty Spumoni to finish with.

So sad, twindogs will never be able to play together….

 

[Ruth Quist]

Hans, you caught a sundog.  I love those guys.

Back To Moons

[Michael Lerch]

Some fun I had with iridescense

[Michael Lerch]

Another one

[Patricia L Keelin]

I love the vision of each of you standing there with eyes aloft taking in the subtly sensuous iridescence you’ve all shared. I think the sky is eyeing you as well.

So Nice to See You!

[Ruth Quist]

Michael, great iridescience.  Nice catch on the subtle shades.

Keelin, I could frame your ” nice to see you”.  Great photo.

Caught A Line

[Michael Lerch]

Thanks Keelin and Ruth. The iridescence shots are a good example of not seeing the picture until i started processing the shot.

Thats right off the dollar bill Keelin and a nice line you caught there Ruth

Here is a shot of a segment of a parahelic circle..the blue dot point.

[Michael Lerch]

Here is another segment from the same event. It never manifested  360 degree circle , just segments as the cloud passed overhead.

[Patricia L Keelin]

Ah, thank you, Ruth! And you have nice catch there with the lighted cloud adding a bright accent.

Michael, how exciting to spot a parahelic circle! I think I’ve only seen one once here. Is it a common site in your area?

Cloud Stick Fetched by a Sun Dog

[Robert Pearson]

I don’t know if this is the right place for this photo, but it’s a night sky in WA with a small lenticular cloud above Mt Rainier, probably lit by the Seattle/Tacoma area lights.

[Hans Stocker]

Wow all great pictures above! A parhelic, iridescence, a rainbow, a sundog and then this night sky by Robert. Welcome here. Your small lenticular cloud really looks to come from outer space. I love it. The sky is eyeing us according to Keelin, but do others eye us too?

A Sundog’s Tail

[Ariel Kotker]

wow, everyone, thrilling stuff! i love being a cloud nerd

here, we’ve had four CZAs in seven weeks. the sky is smiling at all your cleverly named spottings :)

[Ruth Quist]

So many nice pictures with a rainbow of colors.  Must be many ice crystals out there.  Some bold and some faint.

Tagging Along

[Ariel Kotker]

ruth, i love those luminous lingering lenticular-like lobes!

rainbow rockettes

[Ruth Quist]

Arielko,  you truly have me laughing with your rockettes dancing in the sky.  Wonderful halos too.

The Glow Of A Moon

[Ruth Quist]

I am uncertain about this capture.  I will take a stab at a partial 22 degree halo.  Any thoughts from my cloud spotter buddies?

Half A Slice

[Ariel Kotker]

ruth, your moonglow mesmerizes.

i’d guess this was the top of a circumscribed halo/upper tangent arc

[Ruth Quist]

Arielko, thanks for your thoughts.  Photo taken the following day at close to the same time.

I Am Back

[Ariel Kotker]

exciting return of the halo, Ruth. Every halo day is a holiday!

I had an action packed “haloday” on Friday. First a lovely circumscribed and then a vivid CZA

[Patricia L Keelin]

Robert, your starry night sky is beautiful! A close encounter with the cosmos—and who knows what else?

Hans, did you wag back at that happy looking sundog’s tail?

Ariel, your timing is perfection to be catching the arcs and more. Thrilling, indeed!

And Ruth, I love the wild shape of the moon glow you captured.

Iridescent ‘Do

[Patricia L Keelin]

PS: Hans, do you think your sundog might have chased this squirrel up a tree?

[Hans Stocker]

Yes indeed Keelin, my sundog would have loved to chase your multicolored squirrel. Love it. It is a great Iridescent ‘Do you spotted. My pareidolic me sees a mask of light with a colored hairdress.

Ruth I love your lenticulars with the colored fringes just as the rainbow rockettes have by Ariel.

Ariel, what a great collection of halos you posted. It is especially the circumscribed halo I love most.

I am looking forward to new halo appearances  over here, but I also have my archive to dig for more sundogs.
Archivedog

 

[Ariel Kotker]

hans, looks like you are teaching an old dog new tricks! and I also love the circumscribed. Something about that double line is just so special.

keelin, I would love to sport that hairdo! very fancy.

corona cottonball collection 

[Patricia L Keelin]

Your old dog still shines, Hans! And there is buoyant joy in your collection, Ariel.

After the latest rainstorm here, this vision appeared in the gutter, colors dancing…

cloud iridescence
reflecting in rainwater
tickled by a breeze

[Ariel Kotker]

i love that, keelin. it reminds me of the motor oil rainbow puddles i grew up with in nyc.

[Ruth Quist]

Arielko, way nice cotton balls.  Keelin, a big wow in your rainwater.  Nice colors there in Napa. Hans, I love anything that has some dogs.

Coloring Book

[Patricia L Keelin]

Thanks, Ruth. Your Coloring Book has all the pretty pastel shades one might associate with dyed eggs of the season. Yesterday (easter), this looked like something that could hold a few.

Easter Basket

 

[Ruth Quist]

Keelin, now that is some damn show you have going on.  Is that a tangent arc and sun pillar?  I am so excited about your photo.  A true gem.

 

Roof Got In The Way

[Ruth Quist]

Keelin, my apology.  That is a Tiffany Vase.

[Patricia L Keelin]

Thanks, Ruth! I think you are correct with the identifications (though I’m not clear on the difference between a TA and an Upper TA?). It really was such a surprise. You also have a keen eye for iridescence—as well as for vases. ;)  And I love the softness of your latest capture. It’s almost like those little twigs at the bottom of the image snagged them just for you. And did I read something about your love of dogs? Here are a couple who came out to play recently…

Playtime for the Pups

[Ruth Quist]

Keelin, so glad you let the dogs out.  Congrats on the gallery yesterday.  That was a winner in my book.

The Late Night Show

 

[Ruth Quist]

Spinning Top

[Ariel Kotker]

velvety mooncatch, ruth. and keelin, a stunning easter vase!

dogs awakening

[Hans Stocker]

That was a marvelous upper tangent arc you spotted, Keelin, together with a sun pillar. The sun is just set and the UTA takes this sharp shape when the sun is that low. Here is a link to a page where you can simulate the height of the sun with the mouse and see what shape the UTA takes:  Simulate shape of UTA

Several great iridescences Ruth and it is a very nice couple of sundogs you spotted Ariel.

Shadows And Rays

 

[Patricia L Keelin]

Ah Ruth, your moon shots never fail to leave me howling in joy. And it looks like that Spinning Top has wrung some iridescence out of the clouds.

Ariel, those playful sun dogs keep my eyes shifting back and forth waiting to see which side will catch that great luminescent ball. A splendid catch of iridescence!

Hans, what a dramatic portrait of Shadows and Rays! And thank you so much for the link to the atopics site—very helpful. Having had a look there, I’m thinking the photo below might show a faint portion of Circumscribed Halo?

[Ariel Kotker]

keelin, those dogs had me doing the same thing.

hans, those shadowy rays have always intrigued me. They almost look brown sometimes and I wonder why?

I certainly see a circumscribed halo there. One of my very favorite optical phenoms!

[Ruth Quist]

Wonderful and interesting formations.  Some are unusual.  Thanks Hans, Keelin, and Arielko.

Basic Rainbow

[Patricia L Keelin]

Ruth, your Rainbow puts me in the mood for a scoop of sorbet. ;)

Flirty Halo

[Ruth Quist]

Keelin, way cool halo.  For some reason April and May the sky exhibits more of these lovely rings to enjoy.

Hiding in the Trees

[Patricia L Keelin]

Thanks, Ruth. Your shy halo looks to be tickled by those trees. Do I hear a giggle?

Grated Iridescence

[Ruth Quist]

Keelin, that is really a jewel in the sky.  I am off for a few days camping-cloud spotting.

Zipping along

[Ruth Quist]

End Of The Day And End Of The Rainbow

[Hans Stocker]

Keelin the halo you posted some time ago shows indeed a part of the circumscribed halo. Great one! And I love your Flirty Halo. Unresistable!

Great rainbow Ruth. The colors melt with their surroundings.

[Patricia L Keelin]

What a double beauty, Ruth, a sky full of delicious sorbet!

Thanks, Hans, and for confirmation on the earlier halo post. You captured the full eye in your latest. Don’t you just love it when there’s a thin veil of clouds included?

On the road ‘tween Colorado and New Mexico last week, the sky appeared to be celebrating Pride month!

[Ruth Quist]

Keelin, your pride photo is a thing of beauty.  Looks like the gallery might grab at one up.

Cool halo Hans.  It is always a great sight.

Not So Bold

[Hans Stocker]

Keelin, what a feast to celebrate pride month the way the sky did when you were on your way ‘tween Colorado and New Mexico. When you ask me, this is one for the calendar!

There is delicate iridescence in Not So Bold, Ruth.

Next one is a photo from 2021 and I don’t remember whether I shared it before. I was digging in my archive because I wanted to check when I saw the the last time. Now I hope to spot noctilucent clouds this summer again.

Nocturnal

[Patricia L Keelin]

Thanks, Ruth and Hans. That CHA was such a surprise on the cloud-filled drive. Good thing I wasn’t at the wheel.

Not So Bold is like a whisper, Ruth—in a heart shape!

And what a delight to see noctilucent clouds, Hans. I hope they will be frequent visitors for you throughout the summer.

Here’s another from the recent Colorado drive, this time through the car window after a bit of rain. Could be a story in this one, but I leave it to you to write the script. ;)

Open to Interpretation

 

 

[Hans Stocker]

No noctilucent yet, since I posted one (above) from 2021. Patience is a valuable thing.

Open to Interpretation is very funny, Keelin. I could not decide whether it is best to leave it open or not, but I just can’t resist to share one interpretation, with the intention to leave it open for more interpretations. I see someone desperately looking for his glasses to find out what we all see.

Here is just a little experiment with iridescence from the archives.

A Dressed Up Ghost?

[Ruth Quist]

Keelin, I think I see a rainbow smile and a rabbit fleeing the scene.

Hans, brilliant ghost.  Looking forward to your noctilucent spotting.

Splash of Color

[Patricia L Keelin]

Hans, you had me laughing with your clever response and hilarious interpretation. And I think you nailed it—which makes me wonder: Could that fellow’s glasses be atop his very own noggin? I’ve been there, done that on occasion. Or were they borrowed by the clownish ghost with the big nose and the smile Ruth spotted hovering above? And might that even be the same ghost you caught dressed up in iridescent disguise? A beauty of an outfit!

Speaking of seeing things, Ruth, you have a keen eye to have caught that sweet Splash of Color. It’s always a thrill, isn’t it, no matter the size.

Underlined

[Michael Lerch]

Nice capture Keelin!

 

Halo Dancer

[Ariel Kotker]

heck of a hazy halo

[Ruth Quist]

Been years since I have seen a rainbow.

[Patricia L Keelin]

Thanks, Michael. I must say Halo Dancer is wonderfully mysterious. Has she risen from the sea? The image is captivating.

Ariel, I love those hazy days and the subtle halos we’ve learned to spot!

Ah, Ruth, you caught that one! And surely there are more to come with the approaching season.

Those with an eye for pareidolia might find Aeolus in profile below, on the left blowing out a curl of cloud.

Aeolus at Work — or is it Play?

[Hans Stocker]

Keelin, you were very lucky with your 22 degrees halo and circumhorizontal arc as Underline. A Cloud Dancer by Michael is having a party on it I suppose. More beauties by Ariel and Ruth and at last Aeolus at Play (my guess).

Stay Tuned!

[Ariel Kotker]

Ruth, I’m so glad you spotted a rainbow after a bow-less spell. Keelin, don’t you love how a halo can make any day a special day? Even the faintest one. Hans, I love the frequency of those colors!

was treated to a lovely UTA & a hint of the circle the other morning

• This reply was modified 7 months, 2 weeks ago by arielko.

[Ariel Kotker]

CZA-zzzing!

[Anonymous]

Violet sunset. Light scattering caused by Saharan dust in the upper atmosphere

[Patricia L Keelin]

Fabulous color, Tony, and it looks like you caught it at the perfect moment.

Ariel, what a keen eye you have—and great luck in catching that delicate, zinging CZA.

Love the soft glow in Stay Tuned, Hans—and the very funny and appropriate title. ;)

Bubbling Brew

[Ariel Kotker]

thank you, Keelin, and I’ll take some of that bubbling brew, please.

every day is a better day with a halo display

[Anonymous]

That’s a beauty Arielko, and thanks Keelin – iridescence the subject here – but it looks for all the world like a nacreous cloud which it can’t be in southern Britain. Or can it???

[Anonymous]

Deleted accidental duplicate entry but can’t post blank reply. Hmm.

[Hans Stocker]

Ariel, you spotted a beautiful combination of halos. Keelin your iridescence at the edge of  a developing cumulus is fantastic.
And Tony, I don’t think you spotted nacreous. It is simply not the right season to spot nacreous. We are in between the summer where nocticlucent clouds can occur and the winter when nacreous is possible to show up on the Northern hemisphere. Nacreous is only visible in the winter between sunset or sunrise and one or two hours after sunset / before sunrise. Here is some more info about Nacreous clouds including a link to a page with a comparison between iridescence and nacreous clouds. You can read it is possible to spot it (although rarely in the South of England too. I hope you like it.

Some more iridescence in close-up from the archive.

[Anonymous]

Thanks very much Hans, that’s very useful information and fantastic photos. So yes my cloud is definitely tropospheric.  I guess I expect iridescence to follow rainbow patterns but it doesn’t always as your image shows. That’s amazing texture. I managed to catch this amusing coincidence the other day – the cloud was a contrail at one point. 

[Ruth Quist]

Hans, a stunning iridescence.  Very outer space.

Tony, just a touch of color at the tail.

Waiting For A Full Moon

[Ariel Kotker]

Tony, don’t you love it when things line up just right? Hans, that iridescence is just sublime. Ruth what a peaceful colorific lunar moment you’ve captured.

Pastel Pod

[Ruth Quist]

Arielko, looking like a blaze of fire.  Very nice photo.

A cold night last night at about 20 degrees, but I caught a

Hunter’s Full Moon

[Patricia L Keelin]

Ariel, you have a fine eye for capturing these fleeting moments of iridescent color. And you too, Tony, catching a sundog in a contrail!

Ruth, your moon shots always beckon me to step outside the next time it’s dark.

And oh, Hans, what a ghostly beauty from your archive.

Halo Fans

[Hans Stocker]

So much fun above! A great sundog in the tail of a contrail, Tony. Ariel’s Pastel Pod might be a neon lighted tropical fish. Ruth you hunted with success for a full moon with corona. Keelin, aren’t we all halo fans? A great composition.

Another Sundog

[Ariel Kotker]

ruth, here’s to keep your hunter’s moon company! thank you keelin, a lovely fanned halo. and hans, nice dog… perhaps to chase the neon fish…

[Patricia L Keelin]

Thanks, Hans and Ariel. And wow what a beautiful dog you found, Hans. Maybe that’s the tail wagging in joy at finding you! And Ariel, I love your auroral moon shots, especially the one with the tree adding a painterly touch to the star-dappled scene.

I don’t know what the sun thought it was up to…

I Know You’re There

[Ruth Quist]

Wow, where to start.  Keelin, first off, I loved your gallery photo last week.  It never gets old seeing your own photo on the big display!

Arielko, beautiful corona you spotted.  Tons of color in that one.

Hans, a delicate sundog up there.  While I am at it, great sunset on the gallery today.  Fabulous multiple colors in those layers.

Dish Of Spumoni

[Hans Stocker]

Thanks Ruth. It must be the larger version of ‘I Know You’re There’ by Keelin on the gallery. It is a pity it does not have it’s funny title there. Love it. As your tasty Spumoni, Ruth.

Do you know sundogs also come in breeds?

Dachshund

[Ruth Quist]

Hans, love your Dachshund.  I am a sucker for any dog.

Waiting On The Full One Next Week

[Ruth Quist]

Two days before November’s full moon (I will get there yet)

[Ariel Kotker]

Hans, I love a dachshund! And Ruth, that moon is made of velvet. Keelin, the sun tried to hide but its fan stuck out from behind the folding screen!

I suppose I should put this under cloud ID help, but have I seen a Parry arc here?

[Hans Stocker]

Arielko you must have had a great day spotting this halo display. Love it. Yes, a sunvex Parry arc is there for sure. On your last image there is also a CZA and a UTA, but I am sure you already noticed. Maybe also a very faint supralateral arc?

For some reason halo displays seem to be rarer over here. I have to send a ….

Halo Sniffer Dog

[Ariel Kotker]

Hans, you made me laugh with your halo sniffer dog! I hope its nose is hard at work, digging up a halo for you.

here is the same display. It seems to show the supralateral arc. How can we tell the difference between that and a 46° halo?  because it’s not perfectly round?

[Hans Stocker]

Thanks Ariel. Great halo display and yes a supralateral is not perfectly round. The 46 degrees halo is more rare, so usually it is a supraletral halo that you can see touching the CZA and that is also a difference between the two. The 46 degrees halo is a bit lower and clearly separated from the CZA in case the halos are visible enough. In you photo thuis is hard to see since the halos are a bit faint. Here is a link with the differences between the two halos: http://A 46 degrees halo or a supralateral halo

[Ariel Kotker]

Hans, I couldn’t open your link but your description worked wonders (and I looked on atoptics). I understand better now. thanks!

I wish I could send a halo display your way… we do seem to have our fair share here in the Northeast US.

[Ruth Quist]

Arielko, nice spotting up there.  An exciting one to see.

Hans, beauty of a halo sniffer.

Stuck On Moons

[Ruth Quist]

A Past Life

[Patricia L Keelin]

Ariel, you are an optical phenomenon whisperer!

Hans, how lucky to have the dogs on your side for sniffing out those rare events. What kind of treats do you feed them?

Ruth, your latest (Past Life) is a phantamagoric delight that makes me grin with glee.

And speaking of a past life…

Who Put Bleach In the Wash?!

[Ariel Kotker]

Ruth, your moon and halo are so moody in a good way. Keelin, bleach in the wash made me laugh out loud!

Indeed there was another CZA today, but so fleeting I just watched it fade in and out.

But this! I have never seen a corona or iridescence accompanied by sun dogs or a halo, much less a CZA. but today we had the whole kit and caboodle.

here is the iridescence with one sun dog to the left. have you witnessed both together? Do you have pics?

[Ariel Kotker]

Ruth, your moon and halo are so moody in a good way. Keelin, bleach in the wash made me laugh out loud!

Indeed there was another CZA today, but so fleeting I just watched it fade in and out.

But this! I have never seen a corona or iridescence accompanied by sun dogs or a halo, much less a CZA. but today we had the whole kit and caboodle.

here is the iridescence with one sun dog to the left. have you witnessed both together? Do you have pics?

edit …actually I have witnessed both but it’s been  a long time and I had forgotten. But still would love to see photos if you have them!

[Author]

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