by APOD Robot » Wed Mar 27, 2013 4:06 am
A Horizon Rainbow in Paris
Explanation: Why is this horizon so colorful? Because, opposite the Sun, it is raining. What is pictured above is actually just a
common rainbow. It's uncommon appearance is caused by the Sun being unusually high in the sky during the
rainbow's creation. Since every
rainbow's center must be exactly
opposite the Sun, a high Sun reflecting off of a distant rain will produce a
low rainbow where only the very top is visible -- because the rest of the
rainbow is below the
horizon. Furthermore, no two observers can see exactly the same
rainbow -- every person finds themselves exactly between the Sun and rainbow's center, and every
observer sees the colorful circular band precisely 42 degrees from rainbow's center. The
above image featuring the
Eiffel Tower was taken in
Paris,
France last week. Although the intermittent thunderstorms lasted for much of the day, the
horizon rainbow lasted for only a few minutes.
[/b]
[url=http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap130327.html][img]http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/S_130327.jpg[/img] [size=150]A Horizon Rainbow in Paris[/size][/url]
[b] Explanation: [/b] Why is this horizon so colorful? Because, opposite the Sun, it is raining. What is pictured above is actually just a [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainbow]common rainbow[/url]. It's uncommon appearance is caused by the Sun being unusually high in the sky during the [url=http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap110814.html]rainbow[/url]'s creation. Since every [url=http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/%E2%80%8Chbase/atmos/rbowpri.html]rainbow[/url]'s center must be exactly [url=http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap060917.html]opposite the Sun[/url], a high Sun reflecting off of a distant rain will produce a [url=http://www.atoptics.co.uk/rainbows/primalt.htm]low rainbow[/url] where only the very top is visible -- because the rest of the [url=http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap070912.html]rainbow[/url] is below the [url=https://www.facebook.com/pages/Horizon/133563850149431]horizon[/url]. Furthermore, no two observers can see exactly the same [url=http://www.atoptics.co.uk/bows.htm]rainbow[/url] -- every person finds themselves exactly between the Sun and rainbow's center, and every [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=doO8BxSjkLM]observer sees[/url] the colorful circular band precisely 42 degrees from rainbow's center. The [url=http://ptrenard.skyrock.com/3149491670-Arc-Parisien.html]above image[/url] featuring the [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FiKh6YUdPMQ]Eiffel Tower[/url] was taken in [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris]Paris[/url], [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/France]France[/url] last week. Although the intermittent thunderstorms lasted for much of the day, the [url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2298481/Ooh-la-la-Rare-horizontal-rainbow-spotted-Paris-skyline-near-Eiffel-Tower.html]horizon rainbow[/url] lasted for only a few minutes.
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