top of page
Writer's pictureAbhimanyu Kumar Sharma

Are white rainbows real??

Updated: Nov 5, 2022

Yes, white rainbows are real!!


They occur when there is a moon in the sky. So they are called moonbows. They occur when the moon is at or below a certain angle from the horizon and the water is flowing (can either be rain or a waterfall). They are pretty rare and only last for a handful of minutes before disappearing.


Just as the sunlight comes through waterdrops, turning them into a prism to form rainbows, the moonlight comes through these natural prisms making a moonbow. These rainbows are also known as lunar rainbows.


They appear white because the amount of light reflected from the moon is less. Moonbows have the same seven colors as a regular rainbow, but our eyes cannot perceive these colors and thus they appear white.


Fun fact, the colorful moonbow can be seen in a photo taken by a polaroid camera.

They appear more frequently at locations with waterfalls that make a thick layer of mist in the air. The moonbows formed near a waterfall are usually called spray moonbows. Hope you get to see one soon.



Moonbow
Source: https://images.app.goo.gl/SnYBwewH2yRM6CKc7

64 views1 comment

Recent Posts

See All

1 comentário


gksharmagk
21 de mar. de 2021

Quite informative

Curtir
Post: Blog2 Post
bottom of page