Rainbow in a cloud

[PseudoBadger]

DS spotted this today, is it rare?

I have looked in my cloud book and it is called a circumzenithal arc and it is quite rare I think! It's caused by ice crystals in very high up clouds acting like a prism (it says in the book).

Get in touch with the Cloud Appreciation Society (yes really) and send them the photo. Their website has a gallery and I'm sure they will be interested to know where it was seen and what time of day etc, especially as it was your DS who spotted it.

Oh thanks! Yes he's 4 and was laying on his trampoline, told me he'd seen a rainbow and I said don't be silly

That's very cool :)