A moonbow is a rare and stunning natural phenomenon that occurs when moonlight is refracted and reflected off water droplets in the air, creating a colorful arc of light in the night sky. Similar to a rainbow, moonbows are formed when light is dispersed into its various colors, but they are much rarer and more elusive, as they require specific conditions to occur. Moonbows are typically seen in areas with high humidity and clear skies, and are most commonly observed during the full moon. They can appear in a range of colors, from pale white to vibrant shades of red, blue, and purple. Moonbows are a breathtaking example of the beauty and wonder of the natural world, and are a reminder of the incredible diversity and complexity of our planet.
Isn’t that just a rainbow. I mean it’s the same effect. Just with a different light source. Seeing as the light source is not specified in the word rainbow, I don’t see the need to a different word.
It isn’t even a different light source. It’s just making a trip to the moon before it reaches us instead.
In person they’re quite distinct. Very faint and dulled colors. It’s the same effect but it looks different enough, along with the different context of the experience, that they could be considered different phenomena.
Yeah, why then isn’t the other kind of rainbow called a “sunbow”?
shut up that’s why
(also known as a moon rainbow or lunar rainbow)
op cut that part out
I’ve actually seen one of these things. I was on night shift up at one of the mines in the middle of winter. Perfectly clear night. Super cold. The one I saw was pale but it was entirely massive and formed a halo around the moon
You are so lucky. I hope I also see one of these things.
Ronnie James Dio unavailable for comment
There are parks in California and Kentucky where these appear consistently and predictably in the waterfalls for a couple of hours each month. Really pretty, like the faintest ghost of a rainbow.
Photos don’t really do it justice, because most photos of them are long-exposure that crank the colors up; in person (at least when I saw it) it was pale grey in the night.
Cumberland Falls is one that has a moon bow every full moon. It’s actually well worth seeing.
And then there’s the much rarer supernovabow.
There’s also a fogbow
Jes, the moonbow I’ve seen was actually a moon-fog-bow.
Are you sure it wasn’t a fog-moon-bow?
Still better than bow-moon fog. I tend to get lost in aerosol of lunar magma caused by the Moon paying tribute to their planet.
most of the time they are very faint, and you wouldn’t notice they are there, i have captured them using 30 sec long exposures on my camera, they bright ones are rare
