Double rainbow over farmland. Rainbows occur when the observer is facing falling rain but with the Sun behind them. White light is reflected inside th

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Double rainbow over farmland. Rainbows occur when the observer is facing falling rain but with the Sun behind them. White light is reflected inside the raindrops and split into its component colours by refraction. A second, fainter rainbow can be seen to the right of the first rainbow. This second rainbow is caused by different raindrops, which are higher in the atmosphere. They reflect the sunlight twice, causing the order of the second rainbow's colours to reverse. Photographed in south-central Missouri, USA.

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Size: 5335px × 3574px
Photo credit: © JIM REED/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: 24, 2001, 24/10/04, 24th, america, arc, arch, atmosphere, atmospheric, climate, colours, countryside, double, duo, effect, effects, expansive, farmland, grey, illusion, inverted, large, light, meteorology, missouri, multicoloured, october, optical, outdoors, overcast, pair, rainbow, rainbows, reflection, refraction, reversed, rural, spectral, spectrum, trees, usa, weather