Rare 'fire rainbow' spotted in the sky above South Carolina (picture)
An extremely rare 'fire rainbow' was spotted in the sky in Charleston, America, on Sunday.
The rainbow, which is shaped like a fire dancer, remained in the sky for a matter of minutes, dazzling viewers before disappearing.
The unusual display only occurs when the sun is at an angle higher than 58 degrees. It is known as a 'circumhorizontal arc' and occurs when light hits sky-high ice crystals.
Check out: Spectacular rainbow captured by plane passengers
South Carolina resident Tiffany Jenks captured the moment on camera. She said: "We looked up and stared in awe for about 5 minutes... then it was gone!"
Dayna Vettese, a meteorologist at The Weather Network, says circumhorizontal arcs most commonly occur in cirrus clouds but only when they're aligned horizontally.
"You're more likely to see this type of rainbow during the summer here in North America," Dayna says. "But in places like Europe, the arcs are much rarer."
In April, a woman in New York captured the moment an incredibly rare quadruple rainbow appeared in the sky over Long Island.
Amanda Curtis, CEO and co-founder of the fashion start-up Nineteenth Amendment, tweeted the photo, which appeared to show four separate rainbow arcs.
Curtis spotted the spectacular sight following stormy weather in the area.
The phenomenon is extraordinarily rare and only five third- and fourth-level rainbows have ever been recorded in 250 years.
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