AI-Generated "Rainbow Clouds"? Nope, Those Viral Videos From Indonesia Are Of A Real, Rare Optical Phenomenon

Summary: Recently, videos of amazing "rainbow clouds" floating over Indonesia went viral online. Because the clouds looked so colorful and perfect, many people thought they were fake. Some joked it was a new music video, a scene from Mario Kart, or an image made by artificial intelligence (AI).

However, these pastel clouds are 100% real! The event is a rare science trick called "cloud iridescence." It happens when sunlight hits thin clouds that are packed with tiny, perfectly sized water droplets or ice crystals. When the sun is at the exact right angle, the light bends and scatters through the droplets, creating a glowing rainbow effect. It takes a lot of luck for the weather to line up perfectly for this to happen. Even Mars gets its own version of candy-colored clouds made of frozen carbon dioxide!

For more details, see rssapp-iflscience-com at iflscience.com/amazing-videos-of-rainbow-clouds-over-indonesia-arent-ai-earth-really-is-just-that-cool-sometimes-83418 (opens in new tab)