SIGNS IN THE HEAVENS: More Signs Of Magnetic Polar Migration As The Black Celestial Event Nears - OZONE HOLE Forms Over The Britain, As Skywatchers Experience RARE APPARITION Of Polar Stratospheric Clouds! [PHOTOS + VIDEO]

"Heavenly shades of night are falling, it's TWILIGHT TIME, Out of the mist your voice is calling, it is twilight time, When purple colored curtains mark the end of day, I'll hear you, my dear, at twilight time,..." - Twilight Time, The Platters.

"Purple Haze all in my eyes, don't know if it's day or night, you've got me blowing, blowing my mind, is it tomorrow or just the END OF TIME?" - Purple Haze, Jimi Hendrix.

February 5, 2016 - BRITAIN - For the past week, sky watchers in the UK have witnessed a rare apparition of polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs).

Normally restricted to the Arctic Circle, the fantastically colorful clouds have appeared over the British Isles almost every day since Jan. 31st.

Colin Fraser photographed the display over Edinburgh, Scotland, on Feb. 2nd: PSCs form in the lower stratosphere when temperatures drop to a staggeringly-cold -85ºC.

High-altitude sunlight shining through tiny ice particles ~10µm wide produce bright iridescent colors by diffraction and interference.

But there is more to PSCs than ice. Some polar stratospheric clouds contain very small droplets of naturally occurring nitric and sulphuric acids.

These droplets destroy ozone. Indeed, atmospheric optics expert Les Cowley points out that a temporary ozone hole has formed over Ireland and the UK.

It is the blue patch in this Feb. 1st ozone map from NASA's Arctic Ozone Watch:

"The acid droplets destroy the stratospheric ozone layer that protects us from harmful solar ultra-violet rays," says Cowley. "They catalyse unreactive forms of man-made chlorine into active free radicals (for example ClO, chlorine monoxide). The radicals destroy many ozone molecules in a series of chain reactions.."

This outbreak of PSCs is truly unusual.


WATCH: Nacreous clouds over Corby.

"Prior to this outbreak I have seen PSCs over the UK only twice in the last 20 years!" says Cowley. "This episode is exceptional at such low latitudes. If it goes on any longer my camera will be worn out." - SpaceWeather.

SIGNS IN THE HEAVENS: More Signs Of Magnetic Polar Migration As The Black Celestial Event Nears - Stunning Nacreous Rainbow Cloud Spotted In The Skies Over Ireland; Rose-Coloured Sky In Northern Canada Amazes Iqaluit Residents; And Nacreous Rainbow Cloud Seen Over Leicester, UK! [PHOTOS]

Rare Nacreous clouds otherwise known as polar stratospheric clouds are being spotted across the island.
Twitter: Cecilia Daly

February 2, 2016 - EARTH - The following constitutes several of the latest reports of stunning cloud and light formation in the skies across the globe, as magnetic polar migration increases.

Nacreous rainbow cloud spotted in the skies over Ireland

The stunning clouds were pictured by people in a number of places, including Dublin and Belfast

A number of people noticed amazing rainbow coloured clouds in the sky over Ireland this morning.

The stunning clouds were pictured by people in a number of places, including Dublin and Belfast.

More images from Twitter:

They are known as polar stratospheric clouds or nacreous clouds and usually appear during winter at high latitudes like Scandinavia, Iceland, Alaska and Northern Canada.

The clouds are quite rare in Ireland and are mostly visible within two hours after sunset or before dawn.

They appeared as Storm Henry continues to batter the country. - Irish Mirror.

Rose-coloured sky in northern Canada amazes Iqaluit residents

Light scattering likely cause of deep red colouration, says CBC meteorologist

Residents of Iqaluit, Nunavut woke up on Tuesday morning seeing red — literally.

The city took on a strange rose hue throughout the day, wowing residents and leading to plenty of theories. CBC North's Nick Murray snapped a photo of the colouration outside CBC's Iqaluit bureau, which was shared widely across Facebook and Twitter. By Wednesday afternoon, the photo had reached nearly 200,000 people on CBC's Facebook pages alone.

The photo was quickly confirmed by other Iqaluit residents, some of which had their own theories.

Nick Murray snapped this photo outside of CBC North's Iqaluit office on Tuesday. Numerous other Iqaluit residents commented on the city's red hue,
which was likely caused due to light scattering.  © Nick Murray/CBC

Another unfiltered photo of the pink colouring that fell over Iqaluit Tuesday afternoon. Ashley Brauweiler, CBC North's meteorologist, says the colouration was likely
caused by light scattering. This photo was taken approximately 30 minutes after Nick Murray's, explaining the darker colouring.© Sima Sahar Zerehi/CBC

A snapshot of the reaction on Facebook to the red hue that fell over Iqaluit Tuesday.
Some people commented on their awe at seeing the scene, while others offered up theories. © Facebook

Murray's original photo, taken Tuesday at 2:30 p.m. local time, is on the left. A second photo of the same location, taken Wednesday at noon, is on the right.© Nick Murray/CBC

"Ziggy Stardust just flew by," commented Kevin Robinson, a reference to the recent passing of David Bowie.

"Is it be cuz [sic] of your sunglasses?" asked Susie Pinguatuq, commenting on CBC Nunavut's Facebook page. Light scattering likely culprit

However, the likely answer for the strange colouration isn't related to pop icons, or eyewear: instead, it's rooted in how light reacts with the atmosphere.

CBC North meteorologist Ashley Brauweiler says Iqaluit's red sky is likely a result of light scattering, where sunlight is reflected through particles in the atmosphere. The colouring was also likely intensified by the time of day the photo was taken — near sunset — when the sun is lower in the sky.

"When the sun is at a low angle in the sky, the light has a longer distance to travel," said Brauweiler. "The blue [colouration, which leads to a more common 'blue sky'] gets removed by the ice crystals and salt in the air, which leaves red visible." "The clouds are much larger than light waves, which allows them to take on the colour, in this case pink."  - CBC News.

Nacreous rainbow cloud seen over Leicester, UK

The cloud that appeared earlier this evening over Leicester, UK.
© Chris Gordon

People across Leicester were left astounded this afternoon when an unusual cloud formation appeared in the sky.

The formation, which looked like a rainbow around an oval of bright light, appeared at about 5pm in an otherwise murky, grey sky.

Witnesses took photos of the phenomenon and uploaded them to Twitter, many commenting on the "beautiful" appearance.

Leicester Mercury weatherman Dave Mutton said the formation was the result of a cold front moving from the North down to the South. He said that when a cold front meets a warmer front, bits of cloud break off, creating a gap in cloud cover.

Today's 'gap' occurred just as the sun was setting behind it, creating the ethereal oval of light.

He said the rainbow effect appeared because of the light refracting through ice crystals or water droplets in the clouds.

Dave said: "It would have been quite a sight with the sun setting behind it."

However, Dave said it could have also been a polar stratospheric cloud.Polar stratospheric clouds form at very high altitudes, between 15km and 25km (about 50,000 to 80,000 feet) and at very cold temperatures (around -78 deg C).

They are also known as nacreous clouds, from nacre, or mother of pearl, due to their iridescent nature.

Lisa Tubby, of Thurnby Lodge, was among the many people intrigued by the phenomenon, but said it made her feel slightly anxious.

She said: "To be honest, at first I thought it was another planet because of its circle shape, but also because I'd never seen anything like it before.

"I told my daughter to come and have a look at it, and she said it was similar to when petrol and water mix, but I told her that of course it wasn't that as there isn't any petrol in the sky.

© Chris Gordon

© Chris Gordon

"I then went to my mum and dad's, who live just down the road from me, and my dad said it was a rainbow, and my mum said that it was unlike anything she had seen in her life. She's 52 years old."

On Twitter, Leicester Schools Welcome Refugees said that a similar cloud formation appeared in Birstall at 4.30pm this afternoon.

Mercury photographer Chris Gordon captured the phenomenon, which was only briefly in the sky, on camera.

He said: "It's amazing. I've never seen anything like it. It's very reminiscent of a rainbow.

"I decided to take the picture as everyone in the office was so excited about it. Plus, I've always loved sunsets - they're my favourite spectacle."

Posts on Twitter suggested the spectacle was visible all around the UK.

- Leicester Mercury.

WEATHER PHENOMENON: "Mother Of Pearls" - Polar Stratospheric Clouds Spotted By Observer In Norway!

December 24, 2014 - NORWAY - A possible outbreak of polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs) is underway around the Arctic Circle. Unlike normal grey-white clouds, which hug Earth's surface at altitudes of only 5 to 10 km, PSCs float through the stratosphere (25 km) and they are fantastically colorful. Ivar Marthinusen sends the picture above, of the phenomenon from Skedsmokorset, Norway.

"Right after sunset on Dec. 22nd, the clouds were so bright they were uncomfortable to look at directly," says Marthinusen.

Also known as "nacreous" or "mother of pearl" clouds, these icy structures form in the lower stratosphere when temperatures drop to around minus 85ºC. Sunlight shining through tiny ice particles ~10µm across produce the characteristic bright iridescent colors by diffraction and interference. Once thought to be mere curiosities, some PSCs are now known to be associated with the destruction of ozone.

"Nacreous clouds far outshine and have much more vivid colours than ordinary iridescent clouds, which are very much poor relations and seen frequently all over the world," writes atmospheric optics expert Les Cowley. "Once seen they are never forgotten."  -  Space Weather.

WEATHER ANOMALIES: Mother Of Pearl Clouds - Most Rare And Bizarre Nacreous Clouds Seen Over Tierra Del Fuego!

July 28, 2013 - SOUTH AMERICA - On July 24th, about an hour after sunset, Gerardo Connon of Rio Grande city in Tierra del Fuego, Argentina, walked outside and witnessed a rare display of nacreous clouds.

The colorful apparition was as bright as the street lights in the city below:

These clouds, also known as "mother of pearl clouds," form in the stratosphere far above the usual realm of weather. They are seldom seen, but when they are, the reports usually come from high-northern parts of our planet. This apparition over Tierra del Fuego was unusual indeed.

Atmospheric optics expert Les Cowley explains the special conditions required to create such a cloud: "Take an unusually cold lower stratosphere (15-25km high), use some gravity waves generated by high winds and storms in the troposphere to stir in some water vapour, and -- voilà! You get these clouds made of tiny ice crystals shining after sunset with unforgettably bright iridescent colors."

"The very special conditions make nacreous clouds a rare, high-latitude phenomenon. Scandinavia, Iceland and northern Canada are favourite places to see them. Sightings in the southern hemisphere are even more rare because there is so little land far enough south except for Antarctica." - Space Weather.