APOD: A Pileus Iridescent Cloud Over Ethiopia (2011 Aug 24)

[APOD Robot]

A Pileus Iridescent Cloud Over Ethiopia

Explanation: Yes, but how many dark clouds have a multicolored lining? Pictured, behind this darker cloud, is a pileus iridescent cloud, a group of water droplets that have a uniformly similar size and so together diffract different colors of sunlight by different amounts. The above image was taken just after the picturesque sight was noticed by chance by a photographer in Ethiopia. A more detailed picture of the same cloud shows not only many colors, but unusual dark and wavy bands whose origins are thought related to wave disturbances in the cloud.

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[bystander]

APOD Collection: Iridescent Clouds

[Ann]

Nice cloud! And I really, really like one of the links of today's APOD, the one showing us the more detailed picture of the cloud.

Ann

[georgevedwards]

It's a UFO!

[Indigo_Sunrise]

This is an interesting image. I've never seen (or, to be honest, heard of) pileus iridescent clouds. I have heard of - and seen - 'regular' iridescent clouds, and even taken pictures of some. But I had to look up the word 'pileus', just so I knew what it meant, and then I understood the difference! (APOD is fast becoming a great word-of-the-day site, too! )
This link was immensly helpful. And this one I liked because it shows how small one of these can appear next to such a large cumulus cloud.
Maybe I've seen one and not realized it???!!? I've got to start looking more closely!

Wonderful image!

[orin stepanek]

A beautiful image worthy of becoming a background.

[neufer]

Click to play embedded YouTube video.

[JohnD]

Wow! And that is seen in Ethiopia, the fount and origin of the Rastafari culture.
(Although, "Rastafari not a culture, it's a reality." Bob Marley)
It becomes obvious where the rasta hat comes from:

http://hatguide.co.uk/rasta-hat/


Uploaded with ImageShack.us
John

Ras Tafiri - he here to make bad ting good, good ting better and better ting best - Pete Tong

[tECH hIPPY]

Far out, Mon! It could almost be fractal imagery, especially the detail pic.
http://www.fractal-wallpapers.com/Fract ... wallpaper/

[jkbonner]

I see a resemblence with the irridecent clouds structure as viewed close up and the structure of the apparent dunes on Titan from the image PIA14500, and both look like a finger print...interesting.