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  1. en.wikipedia.org › wiki › RainbowRainbow - Wikipedia

    A rainbow is an optical phenomenon caused by refraction, internal reflection and dispersion of light in water droplets resulting in a continuous spectrum of light appearing in the sky. [1] The rainbow takes the form of a multicoloured circular arc. [2]

  2. rainbow, series of concentric coloured arcs that may be seen when light from a distant source—most commonly the Sun—falls upon a collection of water drops—as in rain, spray, or fog. The rainbow is observed in the direction opposite to the Sun.

    • The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
    • When can you see a rainbow? A rainbow requires water droplets to be floating in the air. That’s why we see them right after it rains. The Sun must be behind you and the clouds cleared away from the Sun for the rainbow to appear.
    • Why is a rainbow a bow—or arc? A full rainbow is actually a complete circle, but from the ground we see only part of it. From an airplane, in the right conditions, one can see an entire circular rainbow.
    • What happens in the water droplets? The sunlight shines on a water droplet. As the light passes into the droplet, the light bends, or refracts, a little, because light travels slower in water than in air (because water is denser).
    • Why the colors? Sunlight is made up of many wavelengths—or colors—of light. Some of those wavelengths get bent more than others when the light enters the water droplet.
  3. Oct 19, 2023 · A rainbow is a multicolored arc made by light striking water droplets. The most familiar type rainbow is produced when sunlight strikes raindrops in front of a viewer at a precise angle (42 degrees).

  4. Mar 17, 2019 · Here are the weather conditions create rainbows, why rainbow colors always follow the pattern, and why bows aren't the shape you think they are.

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