An incredible arctic phenomenon took place in the skies of northern Sweden yesterday (December 29) as a "polar stratospheric cloud" was seen in its rainbow-coloured glory.<br /><br />Footage from Abisko in the Arctic Circle shows normal clouds at lower altitude pass the multi-coloured cloud revealing the bizarre feat of nature.<br /><br />The filmer explained: "These clouds - also called 'Nacreous clouds,' or 'mother-of-pearl clouds,' are rare but once seen are never forgotten. <br /><br />"They are mostly visible within two hours after sunset or before dawn when they blaze unbelievably bright with vivid and slowly shifting iridescent colours. <br /><br />"They are filmy sheets slowly curling and uncurling, stretching and contracting in the semi-dark sky. <br /><br />"Compared with dark scudding low altitude clouds that might be present, nacreous clouds stand majestically in almost the same place – an indicator of their great height."<br /><br />They also said: "Our friends told us that this was the largest, most intense and most long-lasting display of a strange arctic phenomenon, a so-called "polar stratospheric cloud", they've seen in the last decade."
