I might be stupid by not knowing this, but I suddenly got an item on my bucket list.

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[–] 40 points 3 days ago (16 children)

And there's typically three (triple rainbow), you just can't usually see all three.

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  • [–] 39 points 3 days ago (11 children)
  • [–] 23 points 3 days ago (7 children)

    Water refracts light according to science!

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  • [–] 3 points 2 days ago (1 child)

    It's related to the number of total internal reflections inside a raindrop. The 2nd rainbow is actually inverted, colour wise. The 3rd inverts again, and so is normal. Each reflection loses more light however, so it gets dimmer. 3 is the practical limit in the sky, with our eyes. In the lab version, at least 18 rainbows can be detected, even by undergraduate level students!

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  • [–] 4 points 3 days ago (1 child)

    Aren't there actually 5, with the other two being on the opposite side of the viewer from the main 3?

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  • I don't think there is a limit, it's just that each one is significantly less visible. It's all to do with the number of bounces within the rain drop.

    IIRC rings 1 and 4 are towards the sun.

    In cold climates you can also get sun halos where the position depends on the shape of the ice crystals in the air.

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