WKBW-TV (BUFFALO, NY) — We’ve all seen them before on the horizon when the sun is out and there’s precipitation or water droplets in the atmosphere. I’m talking about rainbows of course, and they are one of the coolest and easiest to spot in our world of optical phenomena.
But did you ever wonder just how they form?
Rainbows have captivated the imaginations of people over thousands of years. Some ancient cultures attached themes of positivity to them, such as in the flood story in Genesis, when God told Noah he would not flood the earth again and gave a rainbow as his promise. And the significance of rainbows, to many cultures, and groups, continues today. We’re even lucky enough to have scenic vistas, like Niagara Falls, to watch these spectacular displays.
Have you ever wondered about the science behind how rainbows happen? All of the right ingredients have to come together for a rainbow to form. First, the viewer must be between the sun and the rain, typically, with the sun at your back, and the rain in front of you. Next, the sun needs to be less than 42 degrees above the horizon. Generally, this is within a few hours of sunrise or sunset. Look for the rainbow to appear opposite of the sun. If you see brighter bands within the rainbow, you’re seeing the work done by the larger raindrops. They help to accentuate the colors in those bands.
Rainbows will likely always mean something to someone somewhere. And now, maybe they mean even more to you, now that you know how they form!
Got a weather question you’d like answered? E-mail me at weather@wkbw.com, and your weather question could be the subject of the next Josh’s Weather Academy.
