Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Astronomy Picture of the Day - A Fire Rainbow over West Virginia
NASA ^ | 2 Aug, 2026 | Image Credit & Copyright: Christa Harbig

Posted on 08/02/2026 11:59:08 AM PDT by MtnClimber

Explanation: What's happening to this cloud? Ice crystals in a distant cirrus cloud are acting like little floating prisms. Known informally as a fire rainbow for its flame-like appearance, a circumhorizon arc appears parallel to the horizon. For a circumhorizontal arc to be visible, the Sun must be at least 58 degrees high in a sky where cirrus clouds present below -- in this case cirrus fibratus. The numerous, flat, hexagonal ice-crystals that compose the cirrus cloud must be aligned horizontally to properly refract sunlight in a collectively similar manner. Therefore, circumhorizontal arcs are somewhat unusual to see. The featured fire rainbow was photographed in 2021 near North Fork Mountain in West Virginia, USA.


TOPICS: Astronomy; Astronomy Picture of the Day; Science
KEYWORDS: apod; nasa

Click here: to donate by Credit Card

Or here: to donate by PayPal

Or by mail to: Free Republic, LLC - PO Box 9771 - Fresno, CA 93794

Thank you very much and God bless you.

To be added or removed from the Astronomy Picture of the Day ping list please send me a request via "Private Reply" (Mail).

For more detail go to the link and click on the image for a high definition image. You can then move the magnifying glass cursor then click to zoom in and click again to zoom out. When zoomed in you can scan by moving the side bars on the bottom and right side of the image.

1 posted on 08/02/2026 11:59:08 AM PDT by MtnClimber
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: MtnClimber

2 posted on 08/02/2026 11:59:34 AM PDT by MtnClimber (For photos of scenery, wildlife and climbing, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 21stCenturion; 21twelve; 4everontheRight; A Navy Vet; A_perfect_lady; abb; AFB-XYZ; AFPhys; ...
Pinging the APOD list

🪐 🌟 🌌 🍔

3 posted on 08/02/2026 12:00:16 PM PDT by MtnClimber (For photos of scenery, wildlife and climbing, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: MtnClimber

I’ve seen circular rainbows, but had never seen this, a fire rainbow. Thanks for posting this one!


4 posted on 08/02/2026 12:04:08 PM PDT by b4me (Pray, and let God change you. He knows better than you or anyone else, who He made you to be.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: MtnClimber

If I saw something like that, I’d be afraid to tell anyone. Who would believe it?


5 posted on 08/02/2026 12:04:12 PM PDT by ComputerGuy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MtnClimber

What kind of camera did they use?


6 posted on 08/02/2026 12:15:05 PM PDT by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is opinion or satire. Or both.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: MtnClimber

That’s a marvelous sight! I’ve never seen such a thing.

Makes it easy to understand how one might develop a belief in aerial spirits. Those “flames” are freaky.


7 posted on 08/02/2026 12:19:05 PM PDT by dayglored (This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. Psalms 118:24)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MtnClimber

Beautiful. I can’t wait to leave Illinois and move there.


8 posted on 08/02/2026 12:27:12 PM PDT by Tacrolimus1mg (Do no harm, but take no sh!t.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson