Now I know that rainbows are formed due to refraction of light from the sun hitting raindrops and light waves leave at varying angles between 40-42 degrees or somewhere around there. Also, that they’re round.

What I don’t understand is how it’s consistent, like I assume it’s hitting many raindrops, but all these drops are in different places so why does it still form a nice circle. Furthermore, why isn’t the whole sky a rainbow if it’s raining and thus hitting all the drops. I suspect the angle of the sun is playing a part but I’m not a science man.

Please help me get this thought out of my head.

  • @[email protected]OP
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    205 months ago

    OMG. I think I get it now.

    This is why we are in the centre because that’s the right angle to see it, and it being a circle is because again we are in the centre so it spans evenly. Is that correct?

    • @XeroxCool
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      5 months ago

      Yes. And it’s rare on cloudy days because the rainbow only works if you have a point-source of light. Clouds diffuse the light so instead you get an infinite amount of rainbows, all overlapping back into white.

      I recommend you find a garden hose nozzle with a mist option. See the circle rainbow, taste the circle rainbow, hunt the double rainbow, find the rearward rainbow. go crazy.

    • volvoxvsmarla
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      45 months ago

      Thank you for breaking it down to this as well, I tried to get the comment above but this helped make a bing sound in my head

      And thank you for asking in the first place