Why Did a Cumulus Cloud Change Colors When Viewed Through Polarized Sunglasses?

In summary, a person wearing polarized sunglasses noticed that a single cumulus cloud appeared yellow when viewed through them, but returned to white when the glasses were removed. This change in color could be due to the scattering and polarization of different wavelengths of light within that specific cloud at that moment.
  • #1
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One day I just put on my polarized sunglasses, and on the road, I looked at cumulonimbus cloud probably in the congestus stage in a system with many other cumulus clouds (those big puffy clouds), and a single giant cumulus cloud appeared yellow-ish when wearing the polarized sunglass, and I took them off for a second to see if it would make a difference, all of the sudden the cloud was no longer yellow and it was just plain white, and it was only that single cloud. I put my glasses back on and off, and the cloud kept switching between white and yellow.
Any explanation for why a single random cumulus cloud would change color with polarized sunglasses?
 
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  • #2
I'd guess that the different wavelengths of light were being scattered and polarized differently in that particular cloud at the time.
 

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