Rainbows and sundogs are two of Nature’s lovely lightshows. Rainbows are caused by sunlight reflected on water droplets. They are multicolored arcs that occur in the sky directly opposite the sun. A rainbow is red on the outside with violet on the inner side. From the outside the colors are red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet, all the colors of the spectrum. A way to remember the order of colors is to think, ROY G BIV.
Sundogs are concentrated patches of sunlight that refract light through icy clouds and look like pieces of a rainbow, with red on the inside, towards the sun, then blue and white on the outside. They are 22 degrees left or right of the sun which is near the horizon. The term sundog has been in use since the early 1600s, but its origin is unknown.
Rainbows are usually the sign of an end to rain; sundogs often mean that rain or snow is on the way.
Mammatus clouds are pouch-like clouds that hang down from the underside of a cloud bank. They are formed when cold air sinks down and forms pockets. They may appear ominous but are generally harmless and are often seen after the worst of a storm has passed. The term mammatus is derived from the Latin “mamma,” meaning breast.
The clouds are made of ice crystals and may be visible for 10-15 minutes. They are frequently associated with thunderstorms and are often seen during the spring tornado season in Oklahoma. Aviators will avoid them because of their turbulence.
