HONOLULU (KHON2) -- Imagine you're hiking up a tall mountain in Hawaiʻi early one morning. The air is cool, and the sun is just rising behind you.
As you climb higher, you reach a point where you're above the clouds. You stop to catch your breath and look down at the misty clouds below.
Suddenly, you notice something strange and amazing. You see a gigantic shadow of yourself on the clouds; and around it, there's a glowing, colorful ring.
It looks like a magical shadow puppet show. This incredible sight is called a Brocken Spectre; and it happens when the sun is behind you, casting your shadow onto the clouds in front of you.
The name "Brocken Spectre" comes from a mountain in Germany called Brocken, where the people who created this term first saw the phenomenon. It's not a ghost or a spirit but a natural optical illusion that happens when the conditions are just right.
Hawaiʻi, with our beautiful mountains and frequent cloud cover, is a great place to see a Brocken Spectre. One of the best spots to experience this is on Mauna Kea, the tallest mountain in Hawaiʻi.
When you hike or drive up Mauna Kea, you can often find yourself above the clouds, especially early in the morning or late in the afternoon. If you're lucky, you might see your own Brocken Spectre.
Another great place in Hawaiʻi to see this phenomenon is Haleakalā on Maui. Known for its stunning sunrises, Haleakalā also offers the perfect conditions for a Brocken Spectre. After the sunrise, when the sun is still low, you might see your shadow on the misty clouds below, surrounded by a colorful halo.
KHON2.com asked around to find out what Native Hawaiian concepts or ʻŌlelo Hawaii words were available to communicate this type of rainbow. The consensus was that the possible closest concept would be the electric rainbow known as uakoko.
So, the next time you're hiking up a tall mountain, keep an eye out for this magical moment when you can see your own Brocken Spectre. It's like seeing a giant, glowing version of yourself in the sky!