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Iridescent Clouds
Iridescent clouds contain small water droplets of similar sizes diffracting the sunlight to produce various colors.
These photos were taken shortly after 7pm facing west, with the direct light of the sun blocked by lower dark clouds.
The two photos to the right show a phenomenon known as virga and often called fallstreak. Virga is a form of precipitation that evaporates before it hits the ground.
An excellent source of information on iridescent clouds, virga and clouds of all types can be found at Earth Science Picture of the Day.
