They are one of the most beautiful amazing, and intriguing phenomena observed in nature. Whatever your age, it isn’t easy to gaze at a rainbow without feeling that feeling of awe or amazement that you can only experience when you witness something truly unique. Explore Facts About Rainbows here!
Rainbows have been thought to be positive omens for many years. And while it’s not wrong to hope for luck when you see the appearance of a rainbow, there’s some scientific research behind the rainbow that is worth a look!
Here, you’ll find eight incredible facts about rainbows, which we hope you find as exciting as we did!
Facts About Rainbows
- It is impossible to reach the end of the rainbow
If you’re someone who likes to search for a gold pot each time there’s a rainbow, we can save you a bit of headache: you’ll never get to the top of a rainbow! Since a rainbow’s appearance is contingent on the direction of the person who is watching (you) and the source of light (the sun) When you move your body, the rainbow will shift as well. - There is a circular rainbow in the sky
Sitting on the Earth, you’ll only observe the traditional semi-circle rainbow (hence the term “bow”). If you’re in an aircraft and looking towards the sky below, you could observe a real rainbow in an entire circle! If the weather conditions are perfect, it’s a must. - You’re less likely to be able to see a rainbow during the winter months.
You’re less likely to have a rainbow view in the winter months – but why? Because of the snow! The rainbow results from light passing through a spectrum. Typically, it is a collection of raindrops and, as such, the light is broken into a variety of shades.
In winter the temperature in the atmosphere falls to freezing, which causes the raindrops to turn to snow. This prevents light from entering the drops (or that of the snowflake) and blocks the appearance of a rainbow. - Double rainbows appear when light is twice reflected in raindrops
Have you ever seen an equilateral rainbow? A double rainbow happens when light is twice reflected in the raindrop. As a result, it is possible to see two distinct reflections originating from two distinct perspectives.
If you witness this amazing event to yourself, make note of this important fact regarding double rainbows. The second rainbow – which is slightly larger and less vibrant than the main rainbow will have the colors reversed. Instead of the traditional “Roy G. Biv” (for red-orange, yellow, blue, green, indigo violet), You’ll see these colors in Vib G. Yor! - Earth is the one planet to have rainbows
Indeed, Jupiter is constantly battling gas storms, and Mars might even contain freezing waters. however, Earth is the sole planet of the solar system that is capable of creating rainbows as it appears. It’s because Earth is the sole planet to have continuous liquid precipitation and direct sunlight.
On Titan, the Saturn moon Titan Scientists believe that there could be methane-rich rainstorms in the form of liquids however, because the air is dim that it’s highly unlikely that enough sunlight is passing through the methane droplets to make an illuminating rainbow.
Another interesting fact is that around 1000 tons of diamonds pour down out of the sky each year! - The Greeks, as well as the Romans, believed that rainbows were an omen from the gods
In the past, Greek goddess Iris (Arcus in the eyes of her Romans) was represented by the rainbow. There were many paintings depicting her as a shape of the rainbow.
In Greek mythology, Iris was the feminine version of the god of messengers. Hermes was the one who used her pitcher to take water and then bring it into the sky in order to create the rainbow. Her rainbow was then an edifice connecting Mount Olympus, where the gods and goddesses resided and the Earth.
Of course, in the years since, science on rainbows has changed – now we recognize that a rainbow isn’t a bridge connecting the heavens and Earth! It sure does make an excellent story. - The longest-watched rainbow lasted more than 9 hours
The average rainbow can be seen for just under an hour. In 2017, however, students and professors from at the Chinese Culture University, located in the mountains surrounding Taipei, Taiwan, observed the rainbow for eight hours and 58 mins, between 6:57 am and 3:55 at 3:55 pm.
Prior to this the longest-lasting rainbow was observed across Sheffield, England in 1994. The Guinness Book of World Records recorded that the rainbow was visible from around 9 am until 3:00 pm. - The exact same rainbow.
If you and a companion are sitting next to each other looking at the rainbow, it’s possible that you do not see the same rainbow! This is because a rainbow does not exist physically; a rainbow is an optical phenomenon. The way it appears, its precise shape its arc, and the size of the color band may differ slightly depending on the vision of the person who is looking at it.
Also, read 11 FACTS About ENERGY
There’s a further incredible fact about rainbows that we can add to our list: each rainbow is different.