Nope. It’s not a painting, and it hasn’t been photoshopped either. These are polar stratospheric clouds over Iceland.
In Icelandic, polar stratospheric clouds are called glitsky, which roughly translates to “glitter cloud.” What makes them so unique to witness is that they can be even more elusive than the Aurora Borealis.
Polar stratospheric clouds form in the winter polar stratosphere at altitudes of 15 to 25 kilometres above sea level and are best observed during civil twilight, when the sun is between one and six degrees below the horizon. Normally, clouds do not form in the stratosphere due to its extreme dryness.
There are two distinct types of polar stratospheric clouds: Type I clouds are composed of nitric acid and water (and sometimes also sulphuric acid), while Type II clouds contain only water ice.
The first type plays an important role in Antarctic ozone destruction. They are also occurring with increased frequency in the Arctic.
