#circumhorizontal

[tranceberry]

A rare circumhorizontal arc formed by the refraction of sunlight in ice crystals of a cirrus cloud.

[natureisthegreatestartist]

What in the world is this? It’s a very rare atmospheric phenomenon known as a rainbow bridge or circumhorizontal arc. It happens when the sun is at least 58º above the horizon and ice crystals in clouds form rainbows. Bizarre and beautiful, yes?

[2t2r]

arc-en-ciel de feu ou arc circumhorizontal

Nouvel article publié sur https://www.2tout2rien.fr/arc-en-ciel-de-feu-ou-arc-circumhorizontal/

arc-en-ciel de feu ou arc circumhorizontal

[studioocoma]

(via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwnELZIbJ8U)

[memeengine]

Circumhorizontal

I stumbled across this fantastic word - Circumhorizontal - in a post on "fire rainbows" from adialogue, and it struck me as weirdly contradictory!

"Circum" suggests something going around

"horizontal" suggests something flat and straight

However, this is not contradictory on the surface of a sphere.  The term was used to describe an effect like a very distant sun-halo that rings the sky parallel to the horizon.  Like so:

So, "circum" because it encircles the sun in the sky.  And "horizontal" because it is flat compared to the horizon.

The weird geometry of giant scales!