New Zealand Local Weather Forum

Weather Discussion => Photography => Topic started by: einzack on May 17, 2012, 07:46:59 PM

Title: What causes this?
Post by: einzack on May 17, 2012, 07:46:59 PM

a photo i took at work yesterday. i don't think i have ever seen something like this before. any idea what causes it?

Title: Re: What causes this?
Post by: Deano on May 17, 2012, 08:07:22 PM

Was the sun off to the right of shot?
Looks like refraction thru the spray.

Title: Re: What causes this?
Post by: Azzura on May 17, 2012, 08:15:48 PM

Looks like a rainbow. Sun could be behind him as well?

Title: Re: What causes this?
Post by: einzack on May 17, 2012, 09:25:40 PM

it was taken at ~8.30am and i was looking NE, so a reflection would make sense...

Title: Re: What causes this?
Post by: beteljuice on May 17, 2012, 09:46:55 PM

Refraction obviously, but water vapour or ice-crystal (Sun-dog). It looks like the far right hand side of a rainbow, the Sun would be approx. 103 deg at that time ?, so just about possible.

I think it may be a variant of this:

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/3701451/Amazing-technicloud-rainbow.html

Title: Re: What causes this?
Post by: TokWW on May 18, 2012, 07:26:13 AM

I think the fact that you are well elevated lends to the intrigue with the valley cloud and mist below you.  What height were you at? 2500ft? 

Yes I think it is the start of a rainbow whether in cloud vapour or ice crystals of a cirrus layer it is hard to say to the uneducated eye... :)

Title: Re: What causes this?
Post by: Weather Display on May 18, 2012, 09:03:02 AM

maybe its a sundog in the high cirrus cloud

Title: Re: What causes this?
Post by: einzack on May 18, 2012, 09:54:42 AM

i took it from 565m, so 1850ft.
here's another taken with no zoom showing where the sun was in relation to the feature.

Title: Re: What causes this?
Post by: intrepid on May 18, 2012, 12:31:26 PM

Looks like a sun dog to me.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun_dog
http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/atmos/halo22.html

Title: Re: What causes this?
Post by: ato2 on May 18, 2012, 10:49:45 PM

I would go for the sun dog, myself.