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Double Rainbow
A double rainbow. When direct sunlight strikes falling rain, a rainbow is seen at a point directly opposite the sun. A double rainbow occurs when some of the light entering the raindrop is refracted into its component colors, reflected off the back interior wall of the drop, and then refracted again as it exits the drop. The dark area in between the two rainbows is called Alexander's band.
Research on weather and other atmospheric phenomena is performed at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and other federal agencies to provide facilities and support for a wide range of studies in the atmospheric and related sciences. NCAR is managed by the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR), a nonprofit consortium of universities that grants Ph.D.s in fields related to atmospheric science. UCAR's primary function is managing NCAR. To learn more, visit the NCAR website, Here.
Credit: ©University Corporation for Atmospheric Research; photo by Carlye Calvin
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