Why doesn’t a rainbow fill the whole sky?

Hey dear scientists,

I’ve been wondering for a while why a rainbow doesn’t fill the whole sky, why do we always see only an arc?

If possible I would like to know the answer to this question.

Greetings Thomas

Asker: Thomas, 17 years old

Answer

The position of the rainbow is always given exactly in relation to the sun. If the sun is exactly behind you, then (the center of the arc of) the rainbow is exactly in front of you. If the sun is 15 degrees above the horizon, the center of the rainbow is 15 degrees below the horizon. In a flat landscape, the center of the rainbow will always be below the horizon, and you will only see part of the arc. In the mountains or from an airplane you may see a full rainbow, because it may be lower than the point you are standing at. See also link on right side of this page.

Answered by

MSc Bart De Wit

Geography – Cartography – GIS

university of Ghent

http://www.ugent.be

.

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