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Nacreous Clouds

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Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

Rare high clouds that shine with iridescent colors after sunset or before sunrise.

Detailed Definition
Nacreous clouds, also called polar stratospheric clouds, form high in the atmosphere under exceptionally cold conditions. Their thin ice particles can produce luminous mother-of-pearl colors, making them visible in twilight long after ordinary clouds have darkened. In poetry, their unlikely beauty can represent hope in bitter conditions, delicate spectacle at the edge of night, or radiance born from extreme cold.
Example
Example in poetry:
“Nacreous clouds pearl the polar dusk” uses their iridescent, mother-of-pearl color to make winter light seem rare and fragile; A speaker might describe nacreous clouds after sunset to suggest beauty appearing in an atmosphere too cold for comfort; “Above the black firs, nacreous clouds held green and violet fire” contrasts dark earth with luminous upper air; Because nacreous clouds form high in the stratosphere, a poem can use them as images of remoteness, omen, or otherworldly radiance
Additional Notes
Nacreous clouds, also called polar stratospheric clouds, form in extremely cold high-altitude air. Their pearl-like colors can suggest a magical or ominous twilight scene.
Also Known As
Polar Stratospheric Clouds Mother-of-Pearl Clouds
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