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Peter Lowenstein
Mutare, Zimbabwe
02/17/2023
06:23 pm

Equipment Details:

Hand-held Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS40 in sunset mode.

Post-processing Details:

Image file size reduction.

Image Details:

Last iridescence in high clouds above setting Sun.
A well-established flow of warm moist air from the ITCZ is bringing overcast conditions and a considerable amount of rain to Manicaland. However some late afternoon breaks in the cloud are providing glimpses of the setting sun beneath remnants of spreading cumulonimbus anvils. On Friday one such gap provided intermittent views of strong iridescence in thin veils of high cloud above the setting sun for twenty minutes from 6.05 to 6.23 pm. The cause of the iridescence is diffraction of projected sunlight by tiny ice crystals or water droplets in the atmosphere and thin layered high cloud. More information at https://earthsky.org/earth/iridescent-clouds-have-rainbow-colors/