Monday, June 15, 2026
2026.0615.0003...
No, these rainbow clouds over Indonesia
are not AI
The stunning meteorological phenomenon is 'truly magical.'
This colorful cloud over Jonggol, Indonesia, is not a portal to the land of Oz. Or the rainbow road into Asgard from Norse mythology. Or even an AI-generated image. They are iridescent clouds, a rare type of cloud that appear when raindrops interact with sunlight.
According to WABC meteorologist Lee Goldberg, the small water droplets or ice crystals inside of the cloud scatter sunlight, diffracting the light into a spectrum of colors. The rainbow effect is most visible when the sun is partially blocked by something like a mountain or thicker clouds.
“These vibrant displays usually appear near the sun and can last for only a few moments—making them a truly magical sight for anyone lucky enough to catch them,” Goldberg writes.
Ida Pramuwardani, Acting Director of Public Meteorology at the Indonesian climate agency BKMG, told Detik News that the cloud in the video taken over the city southeast of Jakarta is a towering cumulus cloud blocking part of the rainbow.
“At the same time, there are towering cumulus clouds that can cover part of the rainbow, so that the shape looks incomplete or looks like a ‘rainbow cloud’,” Pramuwardani said in a translated interview.
These clouds are also not a direct sign that a storm is coming in. Instead, rainbow clouds indicate that convective clouds are growing and that there is the possibility that rain will start to fall soon.
Understandably, the beautiful sight reportedly stopped traffic, as onlookers rushed to capture footage of these candy colored clouds.
are not AI
The stunning meteorological phenomenon is 'truly magical.'
According to WABC meteorologist Lee Goldberg, the small water droplets or ice crystals inside of the cloud scatter sunlight, diffracting the light into a spectrum of colors. The rainbow effect is most visible when the sun is partially blocked by something like a mountain or thicker clouds.
“These vibrant displays usually appear near the sun and can last for only a few moments—making them a truly magical sight for anyone lucky enough to catch them,” Goldberg writes.
“At the same time, there are towering cumulus clouds that can cover part of the rainbow, so that the shape looks incomplete or looks like a ‘rainbow cloud’,” Pramuwardani said in a translated interview.
These clouds are also not a direct sign that a storm is coming in. Instead, rainbow clouds indicate that convective clouds are growing and that there is the possibility that rain will start to fall soon.
Understandably, the beautiful sight reportedly stopped traffic, as onlookers rushed to capture footage of these candy colored clouds.
Sunday, June 14, 2026
2026.0614.0003...
In the image above, notice the spaceman in the lower right corner.
The image below shows a close-up of that spaceman.
The image below shows a close-up of that spaceman.
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