Rare 'fire rainbow' lights up sky over South Carolina

 By 
Neha Prakash
 on 
Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

No, it's not Photoshopped.

A "fire rainbow" lit up the skies over the Isle of Palms for almost an hour Sunday, delighting beachgoers in South Carolina, 14 News reports.

Fire rainbows, technically called circumhorizontal arcs, are rare occurrences in "high-level cirrus clouds made up of tiny ice crystals," meteorologist Justin Lock told 14 News. But the rainbow effect only happens when the sun is at an altitude of at least 58 degrees above the horizon, Lock adds.

Of course, the phenomenon also lit up social media -- after all, it's a rarity when something needs no filter.

Without clarity. So beautiful A photo posted by Carole Rich Williams (@icrw70) on Aug 16, 2015 at 2:00pm PDT

Seen Off The NC Coast. #firerainbow #wow #saltlife #pineknollshoresnc #crystalcoast A photo posted by Roger Jennings (@3rdnlong) on Aug 17, 2015 at 3:11pm PDT

Life's a beach #charleston #rainbows A photo posted by GG (@ginknowsabe) on Aug 16, 2015 at 11:53am PDT

The biggest stories of the day delivered to your inbox.
These newsletters may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. By clicking Subscribe, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Thanks for signing up. See you at your inbox!