On September 15, 2015, Costa Roca’s Independence Day, citizens of the South American country viewed a phenomenon that they had never seen before. A large brightly-lit cloud appeared all of a sudden from nowhere in Escazú, illuminating the entire sky. Most people who experienced this event agreed that it was indeed one of the most spectacular sights they had ever come across in their lives. Social media users in particular rushed to click photographs and videos of the breathtaking view of the radiant sky, posting their pictures on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and other websites. Several news channels covered the incident too, attracting a lot of hype to what was observed on that particular day. Despite the fact that the cloud looked striking, lending the skies an arresting beauty, residents of Escazú feared that such a phenomenon might signify that the world was coming to an end. In fact people across the entire country contemplated that it might be a message from God that their deaths were nearing. This strange cloud was also observed in areas like San Jose, Pavas, Hatillo and Parrita, causing chaos amongst citizens.
Though people were worried about the impending doom that awaits the world and the symbolic message from heaven, meteorologist Eladio Solano, employed at the National Meteorological Institute, Costa Rica, explained the bizarre incident otherwise. According to him, as ABC News conveyed, this cloud was caused due to a rare weather condition. The rainbow hues that were noticed were a result of the sun’s light being refracted by water droplets and ice crystals in the cloud, as per Eladio Solano’s report. This appearance is scientifically known as ‘cloud iridescence’. This color formation is very similar to that found in oil puddles. Though the colors are pastel shades, they can appear shiny and hence extremely radiant. The diffraction phenomenon causes ice crystals to produce halos. For this occurrence to take effect, the cloud needs to be optically thin to such an extent that the sun rays come into contact with only a single water droplet. Most meteorologists are of the opinion that the cloud that was seen must have been a newly-formed one, owing to the intensity of light it produced.
Do you believe too that the iridescent cloud is but a sign from the heavens above? Or are you one of those who prefer scientific reasoning? If you think this video, shot in Escazú, Costa Rica, is sensational and worth watching, please share with your friends and family.
