I've seen double, triple and even quadruple rainbows because I live in the North where rainbows are amazing, but they are always ached one above the other on the same plane. I've never seen rainbows in different parts of the sky at the same time. Is that impossible, and if so, why...?
2006-08-14 17:51:48 · 14 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Weather
You are right.
Rainbows can be seen from ONLY ONE angle. This happens because their is only ONE source of light the SUN, so one arc is created.
However if you take a few powerful flashlights at night and create rain a effect, placing the lights from different angles you'll be able to see more than one arc from the different positions where the lights are coming.
2006-08-14 18:03:51 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 14⤊ 1⤋
Double, triple or even quadruple rainbows (wow!) indicate just how many times the light from the sun is both refracted and reflected back to your eye.
Rainbows can only be seen on one plane because of the required geometry between the sun, the source of water (ie rain or the shower from a garden hose) and your eyes.
It would be really quite neat if rainbows could be seen in different parts of the sky but that would require another light source bright enough to make that happen.
2006-08-15 10:10:02 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Rainbows are caused by a prism effect where light is broken into its parts. So, although they aren't random, I'm sure it would be possible to see them in different parts of the sky simultaneously, it's just highly unlikely. You'd need a strong reflection. I'd guess that on one of those days where the moon is visible (during the day), if the conditions were right, with a lot of humidity in the air, you could see a faint rainbow from the moon's reflected sunlight, and well as one or more directly from the sun's light. I think it's possible. Perhaps from the right perspective, sunlight reflected off a lake could work too.
By the way, from a pilot's perspective rainbows can appear as full circles. And although there aren't pot's of gold at the end of rainbows, there are often leprechauns, because they love rainbows. And they've always got some gold stashed away somewhere, you just have to catch and tickle them until they give in!
2006-08-14 18:08:07 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I don't know if you know how a rainbow is made... the rain is a crystal and the light as a flashlight.. when you shine the flashlight on the crystal it makes color... Well the sun is the flash like and the rain is the cyrstals,, it depends on were the sun it shining,, because if you were to look at a crystal when light shines on it you would see that it goes off to the side depending on were it's to in the sky,,,, ( what time of day) as long as the angles right it could shine anywere..
2006-08-14 17:58:33 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
yes, it's impossible because a rainbow is refracted lighted reaching your eye. The prism effect that causes the rainbow can only occur when the light is coming from behind the viewer. In a sense, no one else sees exactly the rainbow that you see.
2006-08-14 17:57:31 · answer #5 · answered by Pepper 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Rainbows occur whenever white light goes through a prism.
Water drops can act as prisms. Crystals can as well. Rainbows (referring to the many colors in white light) can be seen everywhere.
;-D Love that Rainbow Song the little kids sing!
La la lala la la la laaaa!
2006-08-14 17:59:06 · answer #6 · answered by China Jon 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
God did create the rainbow as a reminder that destruction won't come again. you can find this in the book of Noah. God said to Noah: i promise never again will all living beings be destroyed by flood; Never again will flood destroy the earth. As a sign of this everlasting covenant which i am making with you and with all living beings, i am putting my bow in the clouds. It will be the sign of my covenant with the world. Whenever i cover the sky with clouds and the rainbow appears, i will remember my promise to you and to all the animals that a flood will never again destroy all living beings. When the rainbow appears in the clouds, i will see it and remember the evrlasting covenant between me and all living beings on earth. That is the sign of the promise which i am making to all living beings. GENESIS 9 V 8 TO 17. GOD IS LOVE. BLESSED BE THE NAME OF THE LORD!
2016-03-27 02:10:54 · answer #7 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The only place I can ever recall seeing more than one rainbow in the sky in different places (not on top of one another) is at Niagara Falls (Canadian side).
2006-08-14 19:58:12 · answer #8 · answered by LindaLou 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Not random, rainbows always face the sun. Try a fine spray from a waterhose behind a sun and you will see your rainbow.
2006-08-14 17:57:11 · answer #9 · answered by James F 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Sound like halos to me. Rainbows are always in the same place relative to the sun. As are halos, but there are more types of halos.
2006-08-15 15:08:15 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋