About 3 years ago my husband and I were driving down the interstate and saw two complete rainbows in the sky. It was so cool we had to pull over and just stare. Has anyone else ever seen this? Do you know what would cause two to appear at the same time?
2006-10-12 14:42:21 · 11 answers · asked by Suzi M 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Other - Science
Yes saw one this evening and many, many times before. It is the refraction of the light. Did you notice the colors were reversed on the outer one? Actually the double rainbow is the "complete" rainbow.
2006-10-12 14:44:19 · answer #1 · answered by finaldx 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Occasionally, a second, dimmer secondary rainbow is seen outside the primary bow. Secondary rainbows are caused by a double reflection of sunlight inside the raindrops, and appear at an angle of 50°–53°. As a result of the second reflection, the colours of a secondary rainbow are inverted compared to the primary bow, with blue on the outside and red on the inside. The dark area of unlit sky lying between the primary and secondary bows is called Alexander's band, after Alexander of Aphrodisias who first described it.
2006-10-12 14:46:39 · answer #2 · answered by katjha2005 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes several times, the sky acts as a prism for one rainbow when the light hits the moisture in the air at just the right angle when it come through the clouds. When you see two rainbows, it is the clouds are allowing the light through in two different places at just the right angle to get two rainbows.
2006-10-12 14:49:36 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Many rainbows are doubles. It's usually that the second one is too dim to see. You may also notice that the second one is reversed in colors.
The seperation of the two rainbows would be 50 degrees (or about that), and they are caused by double reflection of light through a drop of water instead of single reflection.
2006-10-12 14:46:56 · answer #4 · answered by eri 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
ive seen a double rainbow till now! fairly epic! besides, a double rainbow is led to via The raindrop acts as a prism on the same time as the white easy from the sunlight splits the white easy into 7 colours (purple, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet), inflicting a rainbow. whilst all of the photograph voltaic would not get away the raindrop the easy reflects inflicting a double rainbow.
2016-10-19 07:25:11 · answer #5 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have seen that happen several times. Its not exactly frequent, but it does happen. Why? I think its just that the conditions that produce a rainbow happen to be particularly strong--lots of water droplets in the air at one time, and I think that because the dominant rainbow is usually very pronounced, very clear. Anyway, its a beautiful effect.
2006-10-12 14:45:53 · answer #6 · answered by jxt299 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
We see them all of the time here in New Mexico. I have no idea what causes them. But yes they are beautiful.
2006-10-12 14:44:44 · answer #7 · answered by Just Bein' Me 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
yes i have indeed, they're actually just both one rainbow starting and ending with red, it is an illusion to the human eye, the second outer one is dimmer than the one you usually see.
2006-10-12 14:47:07 · answer #8 · answered by Harshil 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
It's caused by excessive alcohol consumption
2006-10-12 14:43:33 · answer #9 · answered by John Scary 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
It's just a reflection from me pot o' gold.
2006-10-12 14:52:40 · answer #10 · answered by angryirishman 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋