It was evening, the sun was starting to set, there was cloud cover, but it was white. Through the clouds we saw a vertical rainbow! It had not rained anywhere as far as we know, and I was just wondering if the moisture from the clouds was enough to form a rainbow.
2007-10-14 13:16:07 · 4 answers · asked by fredsredhead66 4 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Weather
It doesn't necessarily need to rain. Rainbows form from the photons that the sun produces. When the light hits water molecules in the atmosphere they reflect differently depending on the wavelength (color) of the light. They reflect differently because the water molecules are a media that the light has to transfer through. It's kind of like when you shine light on a prism, and you see a rainbow.
Therefore, it doesn't need to rain in order for this to happen, the atmosphere just needs a certain humidity so that the light can reflect off of the water molecules.
2007-10-14 13:23:24 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes it is possible, but it wouldn't be called a rainbow, altostatus clouds that are thin enough can create what is called a halo around either the sun or the moon, but the color would be only white.
2007-10-14 20:32:35 · answer #2 · answered by trey98607 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, the moisture in the air is what causes Rainbows. I'm sure it had probably rained somewhere.
2007-10-14 20:24:20 · answer #3 · answered by Ava 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it is possible...no rain...no problem...rainsbows always apear.
2007-10-14 20:25:45 · answer #4 · answered by Gusto 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋