for our friends down under

saw these photos on My Yahoo page this morning. they are these clouds called Mother of Pearl clouds. The clouds only form in temperatures lower than 80 degrees Celsius (-112 Farenheight).
http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/nm/20060801/2006_08_01t035540_450x285_us_science_australia_clo uds.jpg?x=380&y=240&sig=KmdXF90XBJJBCGsDQiOcdg--

http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/afp/20060801/capt.sge.asb34.010806094837.photo00.photo.default-512x341.jpg?x=380&y=253&sig=nJ3GrJBuwfR1KdK26O4cXQ--

http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/rids/20060801/i/r127503486.jpg?x=380&y=113&sig=HJOyc1S1_FoG1wLTKohpxA--

Sweet! so, they form when its under 112 deggrees?

I think he meant -80C and -112F.

In general as you go higher in the atmosphere, the temperature decreases. About 3.5F or 2C per 1000 feet.

Oh, i see now.

I think he meant -80C and -112F.

In general as you go higher in the atmosphere, the temperature decreases. About 3.5F or 2C per 1000 feet.

yeah my bad. that shit would have to be cold

^ oh yeah, lol.

those look beautiful. i've always been enthralled by the pehnomena of nature

Heres another nice natural phenomena:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/87/Firerainbow.jpg

They're called Fire Rainbows and are regarded as the rarest of all naturally occurring atmospheric phenomena.

^ that's so sick. something about nature still impresses me each time i look up at the sky. even in the middle of my back yard. i'll make an O shap in my hand so the only thing i can see in the sky, no man made things are visible. i'll stand there in awe. truly amazing.

another thing is the Aurora Borealis (spelling?) i always wanted to see that.

^ that's so sick. something about nature still impresses me each time i look up at the sky. even in the middle of my back yard. i'll make an O shap in my hand so the only thing i can see in the sky, no man made things are visible. i'll stand there in awe. truly amazing.

another thing is the Aurora Borealis (spelling?) i always wanted to see that.

I believe aurora borealis can be seen from alaska and probably parts of Canada. But of course, you'd have to know when the conditions were going to be right for it to occur.

And that fire rainbow is teh shit! I'm hard pressed to say it pwns aurora borealis, but its close

edit: I take that back, aroura borealis > all
http://www.bluesubstance.com/images/3daurora_ss01.jpg

That "fire-rainbow" is amazing! I have never seen anything like that.

Nature is so magnificent.

the fire rainbow is by far more magnificent than the borealis in the sense that it rarely occurs. the borealis occurs farely rarely but the conditions for the fire rainbow to occur are more rare.

the borealis occurs when there is a magnetic storm. usually during an equinox, or in the 11 year sunspot cycle.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aurora_borealis#Frequency_of_occurrence
i love this picture http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a9/Polarlicht.jpg

the fire rainbow occurs when the sun is at least 58 degrees above the horizon. the most important part about the fire rainbow that makes it rare is the fact that the ice crystals that the light refracts must be aligned horizontally, which is rare.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire_rainbow

the fire rainbow is by far more magnificent than the borealis in the sense that it rarely occurs. the borealis occurs farely rarely but the conditions for the fire rainbow to occur are more rare.


Magnificence by virtue of rarity, most definitely. If I ever get a chance to see a fire rainbow in my lifetime, I'll consider it milestone in my life. But judging purely on visuals I give it to the aurora for the numerous ways it can appear.

But after hearing the conditions required for the fire rainbow, its value value as a natural phenomenon skyrockets past the aurora

true, but many people are going to base the phenomity (if that's a word) on the pure visual aesthetics of the borealis, which BY FAR outweigh the fire rainbow. i've seen little itty bitty parts of fire rainbows before, but nowhere near the enormity of the one posted in this thread.

... phenomity (if that's a word) ...

:rofl: Definitely not a word! :grinno:

man those are some amazing photos you guys posted!!!!:eek: mother nature is just incredible!!!

:rofl: Definitely not a word! :grinno:

:lol: that's what i thought but i figured, "hey why not give it a try"

Believe it or not, I've seen fire rainbows at least 3 times in my lifetime. :)

I think we learnt about mother of pearl clouds in geography this year. Very interesting. Nature rules.

Believe it or not, I've seen fire rainbows at least 3 times in my lifetime. :)

You bastard. First EPIC breakfast... now this. In what other ways shall you make us feel inferior :frown:

I'm sure I can think of some.

Pff.. Auroas are to be seen in Lappland, Sweden. Not Canada or Alaska.

I believe aurora borealis can be seen from alaska and probably parts of Canada. But of course, you'd have to know when the conditions were going to be right for it to occur.

And that fire rainbow is teh shit! I'm hard pressed to say it pwns aurora borealis, but its close

edit: I take that back, aroura borealis > all
http://www.bluesubstance.com/images/3daurora_ss01.jpg

Lol, what game's that pic from anyways?

Pff.. Auroas are to be seen in Lappland, Sweden. Not Canada or Alaska.
Well when you decide the rest of us are allowed to see them please let us know :rolleyes:
Lol, what game's that pic from anyways?
:dunno: Swede Wars? ... oh wait, thats impossible

Some more pics of atmospheric "phenomenties"

parts of Mega Lightning strikes,
http://www.thunderbolts.info/tpod/2005/images05/051110sprite.jpg

megalightning actually strikes up-wards, and looks like the Red Sprites picture above. Look at and compare the regular strikes on the bottom, with the huge veiny strike of mega-lighting.
I have no idea what the hell blue jets are.

http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/images/content/116920main_yellow_sprites_lg.jpg
http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/images/content/116916main_green_sprite_lg.jpg

http://www.ee.duke.edu/~cummer/sprite_image.gif
Looks like the strike is as wide as a town or city.

http://www.physorg.com/newman/gfx/news/sprites.jpg http://www.physicstoday.org/pt/vol-54/iss-11/images/p41fig4.jpg

If I woke up and saw one of those, I would grab my gun.

...Judgment day, has begun.

Some more pics of atmospheric "phenomenties"

parts of Mega Lightning strikes,

megalightning actually strikes up-wards, and looks like the Red Sprites picture above. Look at and compare the regular strikes on the bottom, with the huge veiny strike of mega-lighting.
I have no idea what the hell blue jets are.

Take from Wikipedia - "Blue Jets differ from sprites in that they project from the top of the cumulonimbus above a thunderstorm, typically in a narrow cone, to the lowest levels of the ionosphere 40 to 50 km (25 to 30 miles) above the earth. They are also brighter than sprites and, as implied by their name, are blue in color. They were first recorded on October 21, 1989, on a video taken from the space shuttle as it passed over Australia. Again, this could be currents being generated from potential differences in the upper atmosphere caused by the same derivation of charge from the Solar Wind."



If I woke up and saw one of those, I would grab my gun.

...Judgment day, has begun.

can you actually see these with your naked eye(s) or are those things that you need some special instrument to see them?

on a side note, the aurora borealis looks like it could've come from Halo or somethin like that.

Jeez, these things are all so awesome (to say the least).

You can see them with your naked eye, you just have to be very far from the storm, or above it. The sprites only happen above the clouds.

right on. i'm sure even IF i did see one i would have no f'ing clue what it was but i know it would be awesome

I think he meant -80C and -112F.



Is this a typo? Negative 112F?! How is that possible? Seems too extreme to me.

Is this a typo? Negative 112F?! How is that possible? Seems too extreme to me.

At approximately 3.5* per 1000 feet, it only takes 30000 feet to bring the temp down 105*.

Oh, I kinda missed that part. I wonder what the temp in space is.

80 celcuis is almost boiling point, and I didn't know temperatures could get to -80 ..


Nice pics man, that shit is sweet.