A Reflection, Not Reflected, Rainbow
Last week the Wasatch Front Weather Team posted this photo to the AccuWeather.com Photo Gallery; I believe it may be the first example on the Gallery of a rare rainbow phenomenon:
This is not a double rainbow; the bows are too close together and one is angled. According to Atmospheric Optics, this is a "reflection" rainbow (not to be confused with a "reflected" one which is simply a rainbow reflected in a body of water, glass building, etc). The AO website says they are "produced by sunlight beaming upwards after reflection from calm water or wet sand." In fact this photo was taken near Salt Lake in Utah, which was probably the culprit in this case. They went on to say:
P.S.: This is my third rainbow-related blog in the last month. If you missed them, check out "Is There Such a Thing as a 360-Degree Rainbow?" and "What is the Best Time of Day For a Rainbow?".
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