Upside Down… Sky.. Rainbows??!
OK, so I understand about having a halo around the sun, but this one has confused my logic of how these things work.. the sun being below the two arcs of light with them being inverted to the opposite direction to what I’d have expected to see.
Randomly looked up at the sky about 5 minutes ago in Whitley. Has confused the poo out of me! Haha! Upside down rainbows…
It sounds like you may have spotted what is known as a circumzenithal arc! This optical phenomenon occurs when sunlight is refracted through ice crystals in high cirrus clouds. The result is an upside-down rainbow-like arc that appears at a higher angle in the sky than a typical rainbow.
Circumzenithal arcs are often mistaken for rainbows because of their colorful appearance, but they are actually a completely different atmospheric phenomenon. The colors are more vivid and the arc is much narrower than a traditional rainbow.
In order to see a circumzenithal arc, the sun must be at a specific angle in the sky and there must be cirrus clouds present to refract the sunlight in just the right way. This is why they are not as common as rainbows, but they are always a stunning sight to behold.
Next time you see this upside-down rainbow in the sky, you can impress your friends with your knowledge of this unique optical illusion! Enjoy the beauty of nature’s wonders and keep looking up at the sky for more amazing sights.