How many times have you seen a rainbow? A moon bow? Have you ever seen a fire rainbow or a mirage? Just how do they form and what are they?
These heavenly delights that happen at just the right time and place, allows us to get a glimpse of these wonders that are all due to unusual weather phenomena. Let’s enjoy a look at some examples.
Mirages
Mirages occur when light is refracted to produce an image of an object or the sky where it is not. It is most commonly seen on hot surfaces, such as the pavement or in a desert.
Moon Bows
A moon bow is like a rainbow only much rarer, only seen at night when the moon is low and full to almost full. They are also called lunar rainbows and yes there can be double moon bows. Moon bows are created by the light of the moon which is why they need an almost full moon to be viewed. They form on the part of the sky opposite from the moon, and are often faint compared to other rainbows.
Haloes
Like rainbows haloes are formed around the Sun due to moisture (in this case ice crystals) being refracted from the Sun’s rays in the upper atmosphere, Sometimes two or more areas of the circle or arcs surrounding the Sun will be brighter, forming what we call Sun Dogs. Haloes can also form around the Moon, and occasionally around the brighter stars and planets like Venus.
Pyro Cumulus Clouds
Another heat related phenomenon, pyro cumulus clouds form from the fast and intense heating of an area to create convecture, which in turn creates a cumulous cloud. Volcanoes, forest fires, and nuclear explosion (in the form of a mushroom cloud) are all prime causes of pyro cumulus clouds.
Belt Of Venus
The belt of Venus is a phenomenon that occurs during dusty evenings or from pollution when a band of pinkish or brownish sky will appear between the sky and the horizon.
Fire Rainbow
A fire rainbow is an extremely rare phenomenon that occurs only when the sun is high allowing its light to pass through high-altitude cirrus clouds with a high content of ice crystals.
Noctilucent Clouds
Noctilucent clouds are atmospherically high clouds that refract light at dusk when the Sun has already set, illuminating the sky with no seeming light source.
Coloured Moon
Due to different atmospheric issues, the moon will occasionally appear tinged with a color, such as blue, orange, or red. Excess smoke, dust, and eclipses can cause the moon to change color.
Aurora Borealis
Also known in the southern hemisphere as the Aurora Australis, the Aurora Borealis are charged particles from the Sun that have reached the Earth's upper atmosphere and become excited. They are more typically seen closer to the poles and during the equinoxes of the year.
Green Ray
Also known as the Green Flash. This occurs very briefly before total sunset and after sunrise. It appears as a green flash above the sun that lasts very briefly, generally only a few moments. It is caused by refraction of light in the atmosphere.
Mammatus Clouds
These odd-shaped clouds are often associated with a storm front, especially one involving a thunderstorm. It's not completely understood how they form, but they are so lovely who cares?
A Rainbow
To see a rainbow we need sunshine and falling rain. A rainbow is caused by the Sun shinning on moisture droplets, most commonly in a post-rain atmosphere. Early morning and late afternoon are the best times to see them because the sun must not be too high.
Rainbows are always opposite the sun and their centers are below the horizon at the the antisolar point. The lower the sun the higher is the bow.
Red is always outermost in the primary bow with orange, yellow, green and blue within. Occasionally, when the raindrops are small, fainter arcs of electric greens, pinks and purples lie just inside the main bow.
A rainbow is not just a set of coloured rings. The sky inside is bright because raindrops direct light there too. The primary bow is a shining disk brightening very strongly towards its rim.
I hope you enjoyed this look at what kind of jaw dropping beauty bad weather can give us. I have been lucky to have had a few awesome sightings of some of these!
I saw full rainbow in the Bay Area last year. It was over water like the image above, but it was as clear as could be, a full bow from end to end and it was raining lightly with the sun full out. I could see all the colors including the electric greens, pinks and purples because the rain drops were small. The bad news was I couldn’t get a picture with my camera because I was riding in a car and couldn’t stop or get a clear shot. Then it was gone. It is in my mind and I’ll never forget it. The best rainbow I ever saw!
Keep On Bloggin’!
Keep On Bloggin’!
