Brazil News
| CAMPO GRANDE, Brazil – In December, a rare optical phenomenon, known as circumhorizontal arcs, was seen in the heavens above Maracaju, in Central-West Brazil. The phenomenon resembles a rainbow but does not have an arc.
Circumhorizontal Arcs (Photo: João G. Marcondes Júnior/terra.com.br)
The Circumhorizontal Arc
According to Wikipedia, a circumhorizontal arc, also known as a lower symmetric 46° plate arc, is an optical phenomenon which happens when an ice-halo is formed by plate-shaped ice crystals in high level cirrus clouds.
Formation of the halo requires that the sun be very high in the sky, at an elevation of 58° or more, and that the cirrus cloud or haze contain plate-shaped ice crystals. The sun's altitude determines the visibility of the halo; it is impossible to see at locations north of 55°N or south of 55°S (although a lunar circumhorizon arc might be visible).
This photo was taken by João G. Marcondes Júnior and submitted to terra.com.br.
The city of Maracaju
The city of Maracaju, Mato Grosso do Sul, located 160 km (99 miles) from the state capital, Campo Grande, is an important agricultural center, known for its traditional annual Sausage Festival. It is also located on an important railroad line which runs from South-Western Brazil to the industrial heartland of Sao Paulo.
Read also: More Articles from Brazil Dispatch
Source(s) for this article: terra.com.br/Wikipedia
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