March 5, 2025

Diffracting sunlight

Colors appear in the fringes of a cloud Monday over Lewiston

$Colors appear in the fringes of a cloud Monday over Lewiston in an affect called cloud iridescence. The phenomenon is due to the diffraction of sunlight by tiny water droplets or ice crystals within the cloud which causes the light to separate into basic colors according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.$

Colors appear in the fringes of a cloud Monday over Lewiston in an affect called cloud iridescence. The phenomenon is due to the diffraction of sunlight by tiny water droplets or ice crystals within the cloud which causes the light to separate into basic colors according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. August Frank/Lewiston Tribune

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Colors appear in the fringes of a cloud Monday over Lewiston in an effect called cloud iridescence. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the phenomenon is due to the diffraction of sunlight by water droplets or ice crystals within the cloud, which causes the light to separate into basic colors, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.