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This colorful cloud over Jonggol, Indonesia, is not a portal to the land of Oz. Or the rainbow road into Asgard from Norse mythology. Or even an AI-generated image. They are iridescent clouds, a rare type of cloud that appear when raindrops interact with sunlight.Â
According to WABC meteorologist Lee Goldberg, the small water droplets or ice crystals inside of the cloud scatter sunlight, diffracting the light into a spectrum of colors. The rainbow effect is most visible when the sun is partially blocked by something like a mountain or thicker clouds. Â
âThese vibrant displays usually appear near the sun and can last for only a few momentsâmaking them a truly magical sight for anyone lucky enough to catch them,â Goldberg writes.
Ida Pramuwardani, Acting Director of Public Meteorology at the Indonesian climate agency BKMG, told Detik News that the cloud in the video taken over the city southeast of Jakarta is a towering cumulus cloud blocking part of the rainbow.
âAt the same time, there are towering cumulus clouds that can cover part of the rainbow, so that the shape looks incomplete or looks like a ârainbow cloudâ,â Pramuwardani said in a translated interview.
These clouds are also not a direct sign that a storm is coming in. Instead, rainbow clouds indicate that convective clouds are growing and that there is the possibility that rain will start to fall soon.
Understandably, the beautiful sight reportedly stopped traffic, as onlookers rushed to capture footage of these candy colored clouds.
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Laura is Popular Science’s news editor, overseeing coverage of a wide variety of subjects. Laura is particularly fascinated by all things aquatic, paleontology, nanotechnology, and exploring how science influences daily life.
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