Rainbow clouds seen from Yemen and Indonesia

You might have seen clouds and a rainbow at the same time, but have you ever seen something quite like this?

These iridescent clouds lit up the sky earlier this week with pictures being taken in Bogor in Indonesia and Sana'a in Yemen.

This event, or phenomenon, is known as cloud iridescence or irisation.

It takes place when sunlight is diffracted - or scattered - by passing around ice crystals or tiny water droplets in the clouds, creating what looks like a rainbow-coloured cloud in the sky.

This is different to a usual rainbow - when the light passes through raindrops - rather than in this case when it goes around.

Scientists say cloud iridescence does not happen very often because there must be very particular atmospheric conditions, such as newly-formed clouds of certain types seen at either sunrise or sunset

Often the colours aren't as quite a bright as seen in the images captured this week.

Iridescent clouds were also seen in Malaysia last month.