unknown
Taken by Alan Carroll on July 1, 2014 @ Aspen Hill, Montgomery County, MD, USA
Click photo for larger image
  Camera Used: Canon Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XSi
Exposure Time: 1/1500
Aperture: f/5.6
ISO: 400
Date Taken: 2014:07:02 21:02:27
  
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Details:
A storm was approaching at 7:47 PM EST. At the top of this large thunderhead there was a spectrum-like swirl of bright colored lights. I have never seen anything like it before. Canon XSi, 55mm, ISO 400, 1/1500second at f5.6. Saturation enhanced in Lightroom.
Photographer's website:
No URL provided.
Comments
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The layered cloud on top is pileus.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pileus_(meteorology)

David
Posted by dob 2014-07-02 21:42:32
Confirm !
Its a nacreous Pileus : http://www.atoptics.co.uk/highsky/nacr1.htm
Beautiful shot !
Posted by Sylvain 2014-07-03 03:26:15
We agree that it is pileus. But it is not nacreous. From the link you provided that would require it be at high latitude in the winter and be a lower stratospheric cloud. In fact, it lies on the top of a growing Cumulus or Cumulonimbus which is tropospheric.

So it is might be described as iridescent pileus.

And we probably all agree it is a great photograph.

David
Posted by dob 2014-07-03 21:47:57
 
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