Astronomy Picture of the Day ·

A Fire Rainbow over West Virginia

The Astronomy Picture of the Day for August 30, 2021 is “A Fire Rainbow over West Virginia,” an image. It is credited to Image Credit: Christa Harbig. The original explanation runs about 118 words.

The picture shows a solar circumhorizontal arc -- nicknamed a fire rainbow -- over West Virgina, USA. Please see the explanation for more detailed information.
Credit: Image Credit: Christa Harbig Shown from science.nasa.gov. Not hosted by OpenOrbit.

From the explanation

“What’s happening to this cloud? Ice crystals in a distant cirrus cloud are acting like little floating prisms .”

— APOD editors, August 30, 2021

Read the full explanation on science.nasa.gov

At a glance

Date
August 30, 2021
Type
Image
Credit
Credit: Image Credit: Christa Harbig
Copyright
No copyright notice on the entry. Check the credited institution’s own usage rules before reusing it.
Explanation length
About 118 words

All of August 2021 → · 2021 by month → · Full archive since 1995 →

On this day: August 30 in other years

On Amazon

Popular picks for space fans

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Electronics Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition 32GB Read astronomy and space-history books anywhere. View on Amazon → Electronics Bose QuietComfort Wireless Headphones Noise-cancelling headphones for documentaries and launch livestreams. View on Amazon →

Source

Copy taken Oct 28, 2026, 2:39 AM EDT. The image and explanation belong to their creators. OpenOrbit is not affiliated with or endorsed by NASA.