You have most likely asked yourself this question at some point while admiring a rainbow. After a shower, I always run outside in hopes of seeing a rainbow.
Rainbows, of course, are inspirational. Many stories, lengends and songs are about rainbows. Many are familiar with the legend of the pot of gold under the rainbodw. But what is a rainbow? How is it formed? That is the question that this lens addresses.
Start Searching for Rainbows on Wikipedia
A rainbow is an optical and meteorological phenomenon that causes a spectrum of light to appear in the sky when the Sun shines onto droplets of moisture in the Earth's atmosphere. They take the form of a multicoloured arc, with red on the outer part of the arch and violet on the inner section of the arch. More rarely, a secondary rainbow is seen, which is a second, fainter arc, outside the primary arc, with colours in the opposite order, that is, with violet on the outside and red on the inside.
Category: Image - :Rainbow-diagram-ROYGBIV.svg|right|90px
A rainbow spans a continuous spectrum of colours. Traditionally, however, the sequence is quantised. The most commonly cited and remembered sequence, in English, is Newton's sevenfold red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. "Roy G. Biv" and "Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vain" are popular mnemonics.
Rainbows can be caused by other forms of water than rain,
including mist, spray, dew, fog, and ice.
Moreover, rainbows can have shapes other than a bow (arc),
including stripes, circles, or even flames. (See circumhorizontal arc).
Facts about Rainbows
- How Stuff Works - Rainbows
- This is a great explanation about how a rainbow is formed.
- Various Types of Rainbows
- Lots of pictures and descriptions about the different categories of rainbows.
- Questions about Rainbows
- Common questions that people have about rainbows.
- Wikipedia- Rainbows
- Excellent details and links.
- That explains it
- A very clear description of a rainbow.
Great gifts for animal lovers
Double Rainbow
Have you ever seen a rainbow above another one? I have, twice. It is quite a sight.
Rainbow Related Items
Scientific Explorer's Color Lab Science of Colors Kit
Amazon Price: $14.99 (as of 10/10/2008)
Scientific Explorer's Rainbow Crystals Science Kit
Amazon Price: $13.00 (as of 10/10/2008)
Light and Color Tutorial CD
Amazon Price: (as of 10/10/2008)
