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[[Image:Rainbow.jpg|thumb|400px|right|A rainbow, seen from the island of Curaçao. Note: the bright spot is a clearing in the clouds; the sun is ''behind'' the photographer.]]  

[[Image:Rainbow.jpg|thumb|400px|right|A rainbow, seen from the island of Curaçao. Note: the bright spot is a clearing in the clouds; the sun is ''behind'' the photographer.]]  

A '''rainbow''' is a circular color spectrum appearing in the sky due to the result of [[refraction]] and multiple [[reflection]]s of [[sunlight]] in droplets of [[water]]. Though appearing semicircular from the ground, rainbows are actually circular. Rainbows appear when water droplets are lit by direct sunlight, a condition that rarely occurs ''during'' a [[storm]], because the [[cloud]]s block the [[sun]]. Rainbows are frequently seen ''after'' a storm, when the falling rain has moved into the distance and the sun is roughly behind the observer when the observer is facing the patch of rain.

A '''rainbow''' is a circular [[color]] [[spectrum]] appearing in the sky due to the result of [[refraction]] and multiple [[reflection]]s of [[sunlight]] in droplets of [[water]]. Though appearing semicircular from the ground, rainbows are actually circular. Rainbows appear when water droplets are lit by direct sunlight, a condition that rarely occurs ''during'' a [[storm]], because the [[cloud]]s block the [[sun]]. Rainbows are frequently seen ''after'' a storm, when the falling rain has moved into the distance and the sun is roughly behind the observer when the observer is facing the patch of rain.

According to [[Genesis]] 9:11-17, after the [[Great Flood|Flood]] [[God]] told [[Noah]] that henceforth the rainbow would remind God and Mankind of God's promise never to flood the [[Earth]] again.<ref>Genesis 9:11-17, "And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud: And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh."</ref> [[Physics]] can explain the appearance of rainbows accurately as the result of refraction and multiple reflections of sunlight in droplets of water, but not the feelings of [[awe]] and [[spirituality]] rainbows inspire, as they did in [[William Wordsworth]] when he wrote:

According to [[Genesis]] 9:11-17, after the [[Great Flood|Flood]] [[God]] told [[Noah]] that henceforth the rainbow would remind God and Mankind of God's promise never to flood the [[Earth]] again.<ref>Genesis 9:11-17, "And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud: And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh."</ref> [[Physics]] can explain the appearance of rainbows accurately as the result of refraction and multiple reflections of sunlight in droplets of water, but not the feelings of [[awe]] and [[spirituality]] rainbows inspire, as they did in [[William Wordsworth]] when he wrote:

Complete circular rainbows can be seen under the right conditions; in particular, when viewing the mists over [[Niagara Falls]] early or late in the day. Circular rainbows can sometimes be seen from an [[airplane]] when it flies over clouds, the rainbow actually encircling the airplane's shadow on the clouds. One way to think about the rainbow is that the mist or rain is like a projection screen, and the rainbow can only be seen where the projection screen is. When the projection screen is large enough, you see the entire circular rainbow.

Complete circular rainbows can be seen under the right conditions; in particular, when viewing the mists over [[Niagara Falls]] early or late in the day. Circular rainbows can sometimes be seen from an [[airplane]] when it flies over clouds, the rainbow actually encircling the airplane's shadow on the clouds. One way to think about the rainbow is that the mist or rain is like a projection screen, and the rainbow can only be seen where the projection screen is. When the projection screen is large enough, you see the entire circular rainbow.

The rainbow is often depicted inaccurately in pictures. For example, it may be depicted as a three-dimensional object, with perspective<ref>[http://www.porterfieldsfineart.com/josephholodook/images/leprechaun72.jpg Leprechaun] A typical, but utterly unrealistic depiction of a rainbow. This picture also shows the rainbow as if it had separated, sharp-edged bands of color, in the order yellow, orange, red, green, blue.</ref>, real rainbows never have this appearance.  Real rainbows show an extremely subtle blending of color. It is hard to pick out separate colors in a rainbow, but of course to the extent that one can, they appear in the "Roy G. Biv" order, [[red]] outermost, then [[orange]], [[yellow]], [[green]], and a range of [[blue|bluish]] shades which, in a real rainbow, are hard to distinguish and name.

The rainbow is often depicted inaccurately in pictures. For example, it may be depicted as a three-dimensional object, with perspective<ref>[http://www.porterfieldsfineart.com/josephholodook/images/leprechaun72.jpg Leprechaun] A typical, but utterly unrealistic depiction of a rainbow. This picture also shows the rainbow as if it had separated, sharp-edged bands of color, in the order yellow, orange, red, green, blue.</ref>, real rainbows never have this appearance.  Real rainbows show an extremely subtle blending of color. It is hard to pick out separate colors in a rainbow, but of course to the extent that one can, they appear in the "[[RoyGBiv|Roy G. Biv]]" order, [[red]] outermost, then [[Orange (color)|orange]], [[yellow]], [[green]], and a range of [[blue|bluish]] shades which, in a real rainbow, are hard to distinguish and name.

It is extremely difficult to reproduce the subtle, faint [[pastel]] colors of a rainbow on a printed page, or even in a color photograph, partly because a rainbow contains colors that are not within the gamut that can be produced by mixing three primaries, and partly because rainbows are faint; printed depictions of them almost invariably have been enhanced to make them look brighter and more intensely colored than they really are.

It is extremely difficult to reproduce the subtle, faint [[pastel]] colors of a rainbow on a printed page, or even in a color photograph, partly because a rainbow contains colors that are not within the gamut that can be produced by mixing three primaries, and partly because rainbows are faint; printed depictions of them almost invariably have been enhanced to make them look brighter and more intensely colored than they really are.

[[Category:Meteorology]]

[[Category:Meteorology]]