APOD: Supernumerary Rainbows over New Jersey (2018 Oct 02)

[APOD Robot]

Supernumerary Rainbows over New Jersey

Explanation: Yes, but can your rainbow do this? After the remnants of Hurricane Florence passed over Jersey Shore, New Jersey, USA last month, the Sun came out in one direction but something quite unusual appeared in the opposite direction: a hall of rainbows. Over the course of a next half hour, to the delight of the photographer and his daughter, vibrant supernumerary rainbows faded in and out, with at least five captured in this featured single shot. Supernumerary rainbows only form when falling water droplets are all nearly the same size and typically less than a millimeter across. Then, sunlight will not only reflect from inside the raindrops, but interfere, a wave phenomenon similar to ripples on a pond when a stone is thrown in. In fact, supernumerary rainbows can only be explained with waves, and their noted existence in the early 1800s was considered early evidence of light's wave nature.

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[RAEckart]

More than one famous John Entwistle, I see!

[Boomer12k]

Amazing...

:---[===] *

[Holger Nielsen]

This is the best photo of supernumenary bows that I have ever seen. What strikes me is, that the distance between the bows seems to be larger higher up, so the bows do not form circles concentric with the primary rainbow. If correct, how can that be explained?

[flasinger]

I think this happens with every rainbow to some degree, just usually not visible. Some years ago I took a picture of a regular rainbow and afterwards cranked the contrast up as far as possible. Several inner rainbows appeared on the screen that were not previously visible to the eye.

[Indigo_Sunrise]

This is a fabulous image!
I've seen what I thought were three 'rainbows in a row' before, but then figured my eyes must be playing tricks on me. Very happy to see it has a name, and that it is an actual thing! So cool!!

[orin stepanek]

Nice article; I was fascinated by the explanation of the supernumerary rainbows! Most I ever seen was three!

[neufer]

I was fascinated by the explanation of the supernumerary rainbows!

Most I ever seen was three!

Say "Supernumerary rainbows" three times fast.

[Chris Peterson]

I was fascinated by the explanation of the supernumerary rainbows!

Most I ever seen was three! 8-) :D

Say "Supernumerary rainbows" three times fast.

See the septuagenarian seek to say supernumerary rainbows six times in succession.

[suicidejunkie]

This is the best photo of supernumenary bows that I have ever seen. What strikes me is, that the distance between the bows seems to be larger higher up, so the bows do not form circles concentric with the primary rainbow. If correct, how can that be explained?

When I look closely and trace it down, the first three thin bows at the top merge into two brighter, thicker bows near the bottom.

[neufer]

I was fascinated by the explanation of the supernumerary rainbows!

Most I ever seen was three!

Say "Supernumerary rainbows" three times fast.

See the septuagenarian seek to say supernumerary rainbows six times in succession.

Sju sjösjuka sjömän sköttes av sju sköna sjuksköterskor.

[neufer]

This is the best photo of supernumenary bows that I have ever seen. What strikes me is, that the distance between the bows seems to be larger higher up, so the bows do not form circles concentric with the primary rainbow. If correct, how can that be explained?

When I look closely and trace it down, the first three thin bows at the top merge into two brighter, thicker bows near the bottom.

The smaller the droplets the greater the separation.

Presumably the droplets were smaller higher above the ground.

[starsurfer]

Thor would be proud of this photo!

Click to play embedded YouTube video.

[De58te]

Thor would be proud of this photo!

See Thor by the seashore seeing the supernumerary rainbow thither three times.

[Guest]

Jersey Shore is in PA

[Hubert_vh]

This is the best photo of supernumenary bows that I have ever seen. What strikes me is, that the distance between the bows seems to be larger higher up, so the bows do not form circles concentric with the primary rainbow. If correct, how can that be explained?

The non-concentric arcs also caught my attention. The website below has detailed explanations of many rainbow features. In particular, figure 8.11 shows at what angle colors end up as a function of drop size. For the supernumerary arcs this dependence is particularly strong. So my guess is that in today's photo, the drop size varies with altitude.
https://www.usna.edu/Users/oceano/rayle ... ter_8.html

[Cousin Ricky]

When I look closely and trace it down, the first three thin bows at the top merge into two brighter, thicker bows near the bottom.

I think what you are perceiving as two separate rainbows at the top is really just the outer bow. The violet streak down the middle is really just the violet end of the outer bow, but the transition from green to blue to violet is just hard to see against the blue sky.

[Augray]

Multiple rainbows usually have reversed color sequence in successive ones where this one maintains the same color sequence in all of them. Very unusual. See https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q ... 2822806479

[RJN]

Jersey Shore is in PA

The image was taken over the Jersey Shore, meaning the Atlantic coast of New Jersey. The video linked, though, was to the PA borough, and so this link has now been removed from the main NASA APOD. Also "the" was added to be more clear. Thanks for your help, and we apologize for the oversight. - RJN