Weather of the Day: South Carolina Was Treated to a Rare and Beautiful Fire Rainbow

If its just a regular rainbow, the people of Isle of Palms in South Carolina aren't interested anymore. 

They were treated to the rare meteorological spectacle known as a 'fire rainbow' Aug. 17 and nothing will ever be the same. 

Look at this thing: 

 

The local news station explained the phenomenon: 

 

According to Meteorologist Justin Lock, a strict set of conditions are required for fire rainbows to appear. First, they only occur in high-level cirrus clouds made up of tiny ice crystals. 

"To produce the rainbow colors the sun's rays must enter the ice crystals at a precise angle to give the prism effect of the color spectrum," Lock said, adding the sun must be at an altitude of at least 58 degrees above the horizon. "Again, it has to do with getting the precise angle." 

Lock says we often see the same kind of thing occur with colorful sunsets in which high-level cirrus clouds produce many colors because of the low angle of the sun reflecting and diffracting light, producing brilliant reds, oranges and purples.

It took off on social media as well and Instagram rejoiced. 

 

 

Without clarity. So beautiful

A photo posted by Carole Rich Williams (@icrw70) on Aug 16, 2015 at 2:00pm PDT

 

Somehow it's actually prettier than that time lightning and a rainbow got in a fight. 

It's a beautiful world, y'all.