[Q] Rainbow arc seen overhead

[stereologist]

Yesterday I saw an interesting rainbow arc in the sky. It appeared over a mare's tail cloud that was approximately overhead. The colors were bright and intense. This was around 6:30 in the evening and the sun was about 60 degrees away from the rainbow. The arc of the rainbow was turned away from the sun.

 

I've seen plenty of interesting atmospheric phenomena, but nothing quite like this. I wish I'd had a camera to share it with others. It was quite beautiful and different.

 

Anybody seen or know about this type of bow?

[Pyrotex]

Yes!

The phenomenon you described is actually more common than most folks realize.

There are a variety of sun bows, sun arcs, sun dogs, sun pillars, moon bows, and other fascinating phenomena that the attentive sky-watcher can see.

 

A few years ago, I attended a clothing-optional pagan campout out in the middle of Texas, a half hour's drive from San Antonio. (I chose to stay fully clothed ;) ) It was about 2 PM. The weather was mild and mostly clear, with just a few whispy mare's tails. But I was in the habit of looking up, and when I did, I saw:

 

About 2/3 of a complete rainbow around the sun, maybe 20 degrees in radius,

at the bottom of that, another pale rainbow attached to the first and arcing AWAY from the sun (toward the horizon),

to either side of the sun there was a brilliant sun dog,

and further from the sun there was the barely visible remnant of another bow.

 

In ten minutes, I had 200 people looking up, gasping and wowing! Awesome!

 

Thanks for sharing your experience!!!

[stereologist]

You got me to doing a more extensive online search and came up with an answer as to the particular phenomena I saw. It's called a Circumzenithal Arc. Here is a link to a fabulous site with extensive photographs of these phenomena.

 

Atmospheric Optics

 

I have my kids keep an eye out for sun dogs. They get a kick out of finding one before I do.