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.

Footage from Abisko in the Arctic Circle shows normal clouds at lower altitude pass the multi-coloured cloud revealing the bizarre feat of nature.

The filmer explained: "These clouds - also called 'Nacreous clouds,' or 'mother-of-pearl clouds,' are rare but once seen are never forgotten.

"They are mostly visible within two hours after sunset or before dawn when they blaze unbelievably bright with vivid and slowly shifting iridescent colours.

"They are filmy sheets slowly curling and uncurling, stretching and contracting in the semi-dark sky.

"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."

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."

We're spending some time up here working as Northern Lights Photography and Wilderness guides.

Our friends and year-long guides from tour operator "Lights over Lapland" 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.

These clouds, also called "Nacreous clouds", or sometimes mother-of-pearl clouds, are rare but once seen are never forgotten. They are mostly visible within two hours after sunset or before dawn when they blaze unbelievably bright with vivid and slowly shifting iridescent colours. They are filmy sheets slowly curling and uncurling, stretching and contracting in the semi-dark sky. 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.

They need the very frigid regions of the lower stratosphere some 15 – 25 km (9 -16 mile) high and well above tropospheric clouds. They are so bright after sunset and before dawn because at those heights they are still sunlit.

The first minute of the video is a period of about 8 minutes speed-up into 1 minute, the rest is real-time.