A Circumhorizontal Arc Over Ohio

Why would clouds appear to be different colors? The reason here is that ice crystals in distant Space Clouds are acting like little floating prisms.

Sometimes known as a fire rainbow for its flame-like appearance, a Circumhorizontal Arc lies parallel to the horizon. For a Circumhorizontal Arc to be visible, the Sun must be at least 58 degrees high in a sky where Cirrus Clouds are present.

Furthermore, the numerous, flat, hexagonal Ice Crystals that compose the Cirrus Clouds must be aligned horizontally to properly refract Sunlight Refraction in a collectively similar manner. Therefore, circumhorizontal arcs are quite unusual to see. This circumhorizon display was photographed through a polarized lens above Dublin, Ohio in 2009.