A rare double rainbow

Scientists studied the rainbow hundreds of years, Dating from the seventeenth century, when Isaac Newton first described this phenomenon. And yet still there is one rainbow that scientists can't fully explain is the so — called "double rainbow". Ian Curtis photographed a rainbow on June 2 in Cheyenne, Wyoming, USA.

"Double rainbow appeared after heavy thunderstorms with hail. In the picture you can see how the hail falls under the first rainbow," said the photographer.

Twin and double rainbow is not the same thing. In this case two arcs emanate from a single point. This rainbow is much less than double.

"Currently, there is no single explanation for twin rainbows. They can be formed due to the refraction of light by water drops and ice spheres, but more likely, their source is nonspherical raindrops," explained an expert on atmospheric optics Les Crawley.

"Surface tension forces keep small raindrops are spherical but as they fall large drops are flattened due to air resistance or hesitation can change shape between the flat and elongated".

Translated by «Yandex.Translator»