A Rainbow Tout

“Let no one who loves be unhappy... even love unreturned has its rainbow.” ~James Matthew Barrie

Upon leaving a coffee house in downtown Bemidji around 7 PM on Monday June 14th, we were greeted by a sun shower. I've always loved sun showers, they seem so counterintuitive. Seems like one shouldn't get wet our something. When we looked east toward the lake, I saw one of the more perfect rainbows I have ever seen. You could see the entire arc of the rainbow, don't ever recall seeing that before. To the left, it seemed to touch down in the water, indeed reflected by the water, and to the right it seemed to touch down just off the lake behind Ace Hardware.

Well, I had to google rainbows to find out more. First I learned why I couldn't photograph the entire arc...totally impossible it read, would need an extreme wide angle lens. Any complete rainbow photos I've seen have seen apparently have been done digitally or with the "stitch" method. It isn't often that I look at something and just can't stop looking. (The Grand Canyon comes to mind) I just couldn't stop saying "Wow", and took several photos. Unfortunately, just like I read, I couldn't come close to capturing the panorama. Sadly, I was also disappointed to find that the camera could not do justice to the spectrum of color and density of the phenomenon.

Sure enough, as we moved south and east to head home, the rainbow slowly disappeared we now not positioned in the right spot. Here's a little of what I learned about rainbows. My biggest surprise? If one was in a plane, one would see the complete circle of a rainbow, you just have to get high enough? Did you know that? Here goes, with some pix.

“Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue, and the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true.” ~Arlen, Harold; Harburg, E.y

A rainbow is an optical and meteorological phenomenon that causes a spectrum of light to appear in the sky when the Sun shines onto droplets of moisture in the Earth's atmosphere. They take the form of a multicoloured arc, with red on the outer part of the arch and violet on the inner section of the arch.
Rainbows can be observed whenever there are water drops in the air and sunlight shining from behind at a low altitude angle. The most spectacular rainbow displays happen when half of the sky is still dark with raining clouds and the observer is at a spot with clear sky in the direction of the Sun. The result is a luminous rainbow that contrasts with the darkened background.
A rainbow does not actually exist at a particular location in the sky. Its apparent position depends on the observer's location and the position of the sun. The position of a rainbow in the sky is always in the opposite direction of the Sun with respect to the observer, and the interior is always slightly brighter than the exterior.

The bow is centred on the shadow of the observer's head, or more exactly at the antisolar point (which is below the horizon during the daytime), appearing at an angle of 40°–42° to the line between the observer's head and its shadow. As a result, if the Sun is higher than 42°, then the rainbow is below the horizon and usually cannot be seen as there are not usually sufficient raindrops between the horizon (that is: eye height) and the ground, to contribute.

Exceptions occur when the observer is high above the ground, for example in an airplane, on top of a mountain, or above a waterfall. From an airplane, one has the opportunity to see the whole circle of the rainbow, with the plane's shadow in the centre.
It is difficult to photograph the complete semicircle of a rainbow in one frame, as this would require an angle of view of 84°. For a 35 mm camera, a lens with a focal length of 19 mm or less wide-angle lens would be required.

“We have not the reverent feeling for the rainbow that a savage has, because we know how it is made. We have lost as much as we gained by prying into that matter.” ~Mark Twain

“The work will wait while you show the child the rainbow, but the rainbow won't wait while you do the work.” ~Unknown

“The soul would have no rainbow had the eyes no tears.” ~John Vance Cheney

“If I traveled to the end of the rainbow -

As Dame Fortune did intend,

Murphy would be there to tell me -

The pot's at the other end.” ~Bert Whitney

“Don't miss all the beautiful colors of the rainbow looking for that pot of gold.” ~Unknown
Frequently, a dim secondary rainbow is seen outside the primary bow. Secondary rainbows are caused by a double reflection of sunlight inside the raindrops, and appear at an angle of 50°–53°. As a result of the second reflection, the colors of a secondary rainbow are inverted compared to the primary bow, with blue on the outside and red on the inside. The secondary rainbow is fainter than the primary because more light escapes from two reflections compared to one and because the rainbow itself is spread over a greater area of the sky.

“May God give you...

For every storm a rainbow, for every tear a smile,

for every care a promise and a blessing in each trial.

For every problem life sends, a faithful friend to share,

for every sigh a sweet song and an answer for each prayer.” ~Irish Blessing