this atmospheric phenomenon is known as a circumhorizontal arc, which occurs when the sun is at least 58° above the horizon and the hexagonal ice crystals which form cirrus clouds become horizontally aligned.
photos by (click pic) bryce bradford, daniel m shihi, orne veien, brooke anderson, brian plonka, lisa gonnelli and angel villanueva near california’s vandenberg aerospace station, which actually shows refraction through a rocket trail.
