While on holiday in Jamaica, a tourist captured a remarkable photograph of an iridescent rainbow cloud. A rainbow cloud has colors similar to oil floating on top of a pool of water. Beckie Bone, who was vacationing in Ocho Rios on Jamaica’s northern coast when she noticed a rainbow-colored, curving cloud. The Weather Channels facebook page was tagged with her comment “I saw it.” It was the first time I have ever seen it in my entire life. Beckie Bone captured a stunning rainbow cloud in her photograph. Image: Facebook. Iridescent clouds If you notice a rainbow cloud you will know that there are tiny ice crystals and water droplets. If large crystals are present, you will get lunar or solar halos. The tiny water droplets and ice crystals scatter the light, creating rainbow effects in clouds. It is most common in cirrocumulus clouds, altocumulus clouds, lenticular cloud and cirrus clouds. The cloud must have a thin optical layer so that the most light rays are only hitting one droplet. Iridescence can be seen around cloud edges, semi-transparent clouds and new clouds. Beckie was offered several explanations and invited by journalists to tell her story. (Image via facebook.com). Rainbow clouds aren’t supposed to predict earthquakes. Some cultures think rainbow clouds signal an impending earthquake. Discover Magazine’s Phil Plait stated that these clouds have no physical connection to Earth shaking. Plait stated: “In this case, I can be 100% sure they are not related to earthquakes. Why? These clouds are so common that you can tie them to almost anything. After seeing a rainbow cloud, I stepped into dog poop. A rainbow cloud appeared before I found a dime in the street. The rainbow cloud was followed by an earthquake!
