Strange Costa Rica Colored Cloud Mystery Explained (VIDEO)

Earlier this week, on Tuesday, residents and visitors in Costa Rica were met with a spectacular sight: a vivid halo of color billowing out from a mysterious cloud. Now, researchers are taking a closer look at the footage of the cloud in order to explain exactly what caused it in the first place.

These types of clouds are some of the most beautiful in the world. However, they're not all that rare, according to the Washington Post. This is what is called a "pileus cloud" or a "cap cloud" due to the way it caps the top of a cumulus cloud.

A pileus cloud usually forms during the early stages of thunderstorm development, when a strong updraft of rising air is present in cumulus clouds. The upward motion causes the whole layer of air above the storm to rise, and the moisture in this layer cools and condenses into cloud droplets, which forms the wispy, flat cloud that caps the storm.

But what about the rainbow hues that people saw on Tuesday? The event was actually an example of a phenomenon called cloud iridescence. The chances of seeing this iridescence depends on the season and where you live. Cooler temperatures offer the best conditions, and the cloud needs to be in the same part of the sky as the sun.

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