Ukrainian polar researchers capture rare optical phenomenon near Akademik Vernadsky station

The National Antarctic Scientific Center reported this on Facebook , Ukrinform says. "It looks like an irregular patch of color in the sky, as if a giant soap bubble were floating there. This optical effect occurs when sunlight bends around tiny obstacles and passes behind them (diffraction), after which the light waves overlap, creating shimmering colors (interference)," the scientists explained. In cirrus clouds, these obstacles are tiny ice crystals, which make up most of their structure. These are high-level clouds that, in polar regions, occur at altitudes of 4–6 kilometers, where temperatures are -20°C or lower. They are thin and transparent, making the colorful "play" of light clearly visible.