cirrus

Another avenue to explore is atmospheric optics, specifically ice crystal scattering, which can create halos, sundogs, or even elongated shapes in certain cloud formations at high altitudes.

Cirrus and cirrostratus clouds are known to refract and reflect light in ways that could produce multiple bright spots, but the radar data suggests actual material, not just optical illusion.

Speaking of radar, a fundamental concept is that the system only detects when the returned signal returns with enough intensity for the threshold set by the operator.

If the signal is weak or intermittent, you can get sporadic detections.

Uh, sun dogs, otherwise known as, uh, parhelia, are basically, like, these ice crystal halos.

Cirrus cl- cirrus clouds containing hexagonal ice crystals can refract sunlight into colored patches.

Halos apparently, um, apparent secondary suns, so, like, you get the s- you get the sun and then, like, the reflecting light will make it look like there are either several halos around the sun or, like, one ring around it.

And, um, it says it's extremely rare, but it, uh, the National Weather Service describes this as, um, this precise mechanism.

And, uh, we're going to be hearing about this work, which is the second in a series called Eyes Turned Skyward.

This particular work titled Cirrus, A- as in cirrus clouds, the Sky Dancer.

And, um, we, uh, want everyone to think very seriously about attending this concert coming up, uh, this Thursday evening.

Laura Rexroth and Mary Ellen Close and Jodie Blackshaw, we welcome all three of you to The Morning Show.

For those of you just joining us, I am speaking with, uh, Jodie Blackshaw, who is joining us via Zoom from faraway Australia.

But, uh, she has been commissioned to compose a work which will receive its world premiere this Thursday evening, October 8th, at the University of Wisconsin Parkside.

And also with us, uh, in this conversation, Laura Rexroth, who is Professor of Music at Parkside and Director of Bands, who I am assuming will be on the podium conducting this world premiere performance of Cirrus the Sky Dancer.

Also with us is Mary Ellen Close, a flutist herself in the community band at Parkside, who actually commissioned this work to be composed by, uh, Jodie Blackshaw.

what?

Mine's Cirrus Cloud.

Okay, good, good.

I love them.

Yeah.

They're lovely.

They're now going to tell you that's not a Cirrus Cloud.

They tend to mean, they mean that the weather's set to stay settled.