A rare atmospheric phenomenon was spotted in the skies over Vernon Wednesday, July 2.
Residents took to social media to share images of a "fire rainbow" that could be seen over the city, resembling a rainbow that appears embedded in a cloud, with frayed borders instead of the neat arc that typical rainbows form, running horizontally across the sky and making for a colourful and unusual spectacle.
Alternatively known as a circumhorizontal arc, fire rainbows are rare but not unheard of in Canada, according to The Weather Network.
The phenomenon occurs when sunlight is refracted through the ice crystals in cirrus clouds 鈥� clouds in high altitudes that have a wispy, streaky or feathery appearance.
The clouds have to be aligned horizontally to form a fire rainbow, according to The Weather Network, and they're most likely to be seen in the summer in North America.
Despite their fiery nickname, circumhorizontal arcs aren't caused by wildfire smoke. They also aren't related to regular rainbows that are formed by water droplets on days when rain and sunshine combine.
Keep your eyes to the skies 鈥� the next fire rainbow overhead could last just a few minutes.
