Tag Archives: cloud falling out of a cloud

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Recently Cathleen Crosby captured a photo of a Sun Dog, which is also called a Parhelion. This Sun Dog was seen out over the Pacific Ocean. It looks like several Ravens were flying by.

A Sun Dog is a rainbow in the sky but there are no rain clouds. It is formed when light rays pass through high cirrus clouds. The ice crystals in the clouds act as prisms and, if conditions are right, you get this rare phenomenon. Thanks to Cathleen for allowing me to share it with you here!

To see another rare cloud with a rainbow phenomenon, click here to see a cloud falling out of a cloud. It's amazing!http://www.mendonomasightings.com/2011/05/13/rare-cloud-phenomenon-a-cloud-falling-out-of-a-cloud/

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Frank Terlouw and his son are fishermen who fish off the Mendocino Coast. They were out in their boat on the Pacific Ocean when they saw this unbelievably strange and beautiful cloud formation overhead. Frank later found an explanation for the rare phenomenon in an article by Victoria Tang in Earth Science magazine. An airplane can punch a hole in a cloud and actually change the weather below, causing that part of the cloud to snow. Frank never saw an airplane but the photo in the article was nearly identical to the one he took. With Frank's kind permission I've posted his fantastic photo below. Notice that in his photo Frank also captured a rainbow. Enjoy, enjoy!