SkyGlow Project Captures A Glorious And Spectacular 'Total Cloud Inversion' At Grand Canyon

SkyGlow Project filmed a rare stunning phenomenon known as a "total cloud inversion" at Grand Canyon in Arizona. The film is titled "Kaibab Elegy" and was released on Vimeo on May 14, 2017.

SkyGlow Project Captures Stunning Time-Lapse Of Grand Canyon Cloud Inversion https://t.co/lCnXZh4A5K pic.twitter.com/RQhHe450m6

— Zesty Earth News (@zesty_earth) May 16, 2017

The footage shows white clouds roil and churn into Grand Canyon. It also displayed the impact of light pollution that could be seen in the night sky and the glowing urban landscapes that were arrayed with the shining of electric illumination, according to Live Science.

It was a stunning and glorious sight. The film was shot and edited by filmmaker Harun Mehmedinovic. He told IFL Science that they were extremely lucky to be there to film it. This only happens one day a year on average, and there have been a few years when it did not happen at all, Mehmedinovic added.

SkyGlow Project - Kaibab Elegy (Beautiful video of the Arizona's Grand Canyon National Park)https://t.co/xOlpQPOy58 — Serge Van Steenkiste (@sargos66) May 16, 2017

The total cloud inversion could be seen completely in the end of the time-lapsed video. The National Weather Service (NWS) explained that during the inversion phenomenon, a layer of warm air traps cool air and moisture closer to the ground. This inhibits it from disintegrating as it normally would.

The total cloud inversion is also known as surface inversion. It most likely occurs during winter months when the air near the ground cools fast at night. Meanwhile, the air on top of the surface remains warm. If the winds are still, the warm air cannot integrate with the cooler air below it. The cooler air then sticks around the grounds and would likely to get stuck if there are high pressure conditions in the area or like mountains that can trap the cool air, according to NWS.

Get a glimpse of this glorious phenomenon on the video above. Meanwhile, the National Park Service also captured similar phenomenon at Grand Canyon on Dec. 11, 2014. You can also watch this on the YouTube video below.