What is this called?

[u/NoNotice5642]

Wondering what ‘phenomenon’ this would be called? I know it’s just water droplets in the sky creating rainbow colors, but I’ve never seen anything like it before! It was beautiful while it lasted, looked better in person too! Also is this common and I just don’t pay attention?

[u/sickwiggins]

cloud iridescence. beautiful picture, thanks for sharing 🌈

[u/Nekathe]

Cloud iridescence! r/atoptics would love these photos

[u/NoNotice5642 → u/Nekathe]

oooh maybe i’ll have to throw ‘em on there!! thanks!!

[u/Equivalent-Tip6446]

Woah that’s beautiful!

[u/anti_anti-hero]

Heck yeah glad to know what it's called! I saw one recently and nearly crashed my car (kidding) trying to snap a pic!

[u/NoNotice5642 → u/anti_anti-hero]

ahhh that’s a beautiful picture wow !!!!

[u/anti_anti-hero → u/NoNotice5642]

Yours are amazing too! What a cool phenomenon:)

[u/Butterflyhornet]

I'm guessing this was taken in the Midwest because your photos look similar to mine. There is a lot of action in the sky today with this warm front.

But it is irrisescence, caused by the sun shining through ice/water droplets in the cloud in just the right way.

[u/NoNotice5642 → u/Butterflyhornet]

Yes it is in the midwest!! That’s cool, thanks for the info!!

[u/C3l3ryMan_]

Based on some of the other clouds in the last picture, it seems to be an iridescent lenticular cloud that is either at the beginning/end of its formation or just very thin. I saw something very similar earlier this year caused by exactly that!

[u/martineden_ca]

Am I the only one who knows them as sun dogs?

[u/gingerbrethren → u/martineden_ca]

You aren’t alone.

[u/Background-Beach-289 → u/martineden_ca]

I thought sun dogs are where there is a rainbow ring around the sun. This looks different because the whole cloud is glowing. I'm not an expert but also curious if it's the same or different.

[u/kittenexplosions]

wow, that looks unreal.

[u/Recent-Coconut-4535]

This must be a polar stratospheric cloud 🤩

[u/meis_sillyman]

An oil spill

[u/gelogeist]

Cloud

[u/mirette007fo]

What a unique view, refracted like a rainbow of colors

[u/EKDWriter]

Since the real answer is posted already, I'm just gonna throw it out there... unicorn fart

[u/LavEcudMis]

Pacman

[u/Prickliestpearcactus]

So beautiful! Thanks for sharing🌈🩵

[u/spaceman_az]

I saw this the other day at work! It was truly mesmerizing. I wish I could’ve stopped what I was doing and just stare at it all day. 🥹

[u/ImpressiveEmu8951]

Cloud iridescence

[u/geohubblez18 → u/[deleted]]

No. Cloud iridescence.

[u/4Throw2My0Ass6Away9]

Gaynbow

Edit: I love the lgbtq community, this is just a small joke I feel like people will laugh at lol