Pink and Blue Iridescent Clouds
Taken by Peter Lowenstein on March 3, 2017 @
Mutare, Zimbabwe
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Camera Used: Panasonic DMC-TZ60
Exposure Time: 10/20000
Aperture: f/8.0
ISO: 100
Date Taken: 2017:03:04 09:28:13
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Details:
During the late afternoon on 03 March conditions in Mutare again became conducive for the build-up of tall cumulus clouds. At about 17.00 hrs when the setting sun was just above a very active group, several iridescent (rainbow) pilei developed in quick succession alongside, immediately on top of, and then a short distance above the cloud summits. However on this occasion instead of being multicolored they were at initially (at 17.00 LT) almost entirely pink (first photograph) then ten minutes later pink and blue (second picture) and after another twenty minutes had become predominantly blue (third picture). By 18.00 hrs, when the cumulus clouds had stopped growing and were starting to disperse, some isolated remnants of almost pure bright blue iridescent cloud lingered in the vicinity (last image). Although some multicolored rainbow pilei and iridescent clouds were interspersed, the transition from predominantly pink to blue over a period of an hour is unusual and requires explanation? Perhaps it has something to with the elevation of the sun with respect to the cloud tops and the vantage point from which they were being observed? At first the sun was just above the clouds and later was much lower and behind them? An interesting atmospheric optics puzzle? The photographs were all taken using a Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ60 in intelligent auto mode with up to x60 zoom magnification.
Photographer's website:
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