The Exploding Colours Page!

This gallery is all about spectacular optical phenomena. Rainbows are common enough but really good ones less so. Sundogs are
relatively uncommon and the one offered here is exceptionally vivid. The ghostly Noctilucent Clouds are a rare Midsummer treat for
those prepared to sacrifice a night's sleep, and of several sightings these two groups represent the best - especially the second set which
was an incredible experience to see in the early hours of July 3rd 2011. It was as close to natural psychedelia as I've ever witnessed. It's
amazing to think that they occur at the Mesopause, 80km above Earth's surface - on the edge of Space itself! Good sunsets and sunrises are
as common here as anywhere else so I've tried to include some that are either excessively-colourful or unusual for other reasons, such
as the incredible sunrise involving a stratocumulus deck complete with mammatus, that I caught by rapid-response tactics after spotting it
from my bedroom window upon waking, first thing on a November morning in 2006 (row 5).

Mouse over any image for brief caption; click on image for an 800 pixel width enlargement,
longer caption & ordering info; click the "Back" link to return to here.