Rare Rainbows | weatherology°
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By: Meteorologist Megan Mulford
Updated: Feb 8th 2022

Rare Rainbows

Have you seen any of these?

Just as humanity has a diverse view of rainbows, we also have a diverse perception of them. The Amazonians believe they are harboring evil spirits. In Roman mythology, rainbows were considered to be a path between Earth and Heaven (cue Stairway to Heaven). Lastly, we have all heard that the “leprechaun’s pot of gold” is waiting at the end of the rainbow….but sorry to say there is no “end” to a rainbow…so no gold for you! 

Not only that, we physically see rainbows differently because of the way the light is reflected through water droplets. The diversity doesn’t end there; there’s a lot more to see! There are 5 types of rainbows that are fairly uncommon!

Fire Rainbows

Basically flames in the sky- imagine seeing clouds shaped like fire and dripping in colors! 

Supernumerary Rainbows

More colors for us to see- if you are lucky enough, you will get extra colors under the indigo!

Moonbows

Rainbows after dark- sometimes a full moon can give us what looks like a white rainbow.
You can actually see all the colors if you have an awesome camera, so if you are a photographer, share your photos on the Weatherology app!   

Fogbows

If rainbows came back as ghosts- these are faint rainbows that can be seen if the fog is thin enough.

Iridescence

The essences of joy- think of when light hits soap bubbles…but in the sky…those colors!