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

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

Post by APOD Robot » Tue Oct 02, 2018 4:08 am

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

Post by RAEckart » Tue Oct 02, 2018 5:00 am

More than one famous John Entwistle, I see!

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

Post by Boomer12k » Tue Oct 02, 2018 5:39 am

Amazing...

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

Post by Holger Nielsen » Tue Oct 02, 2018 7:37 am

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

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

Post by flasinger » Tue Oct 02, 2018 7:43 am

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.

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

Post by Indigo_Sunrise » Tue Oct 02, 2018 11:08 am

This is a fabulous image! 8-)
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!!
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Re: APOD: Supernumerary Rainbows over New Jersey (2018 Oct 02)

Post by orin stepanek » Tue Oct 02, 2018 12:20 pm

Nice article; I was fascinated by the explanation of the supernumerary rainbows! Most I ever seen was three! 8-) :D
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Re: APOD: Supernumerary Rainbows over New Jersey (2018 Oct 02)

Post by neufer » Tue Oct 02, 2018 1:41 pm

orin stepanek wrote: Tue Oct 02, 2018 12:20 pm
I was fascinated by the explanation of the supernumerary rainbows!

Most I ever seen was three! 8-) :D
Say "Supernumerary rainbows" three times fast.
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Re: APOD: Supernumerary Rainbows over New Jersey (2018 Oct 02)

Post by Chris Peterson » Tue Oct 02, 2018 2:20 pm

neufer wrote: Tue Oct 02, 2018 1:41 pm
orin stepanek wrote: Tue Oct 02, 2018 12:20 pm
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.
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Re: APOD: Supernumerary Rainbows over New Jersey (2018 Oct 02)

Post by suicidejunkie » Tue Oct 02, 2018 2:52 pm

Holger Nielsen wrote: Tue Oct 02, 2018 7:37 am 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.

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

Post by neufer » Tue Oct 02, 2018 2:58 pm

Chris Peterson wrote: Tue Oct 02, 2018 2:20 pm
neufer wrote: Tue Oct 02, 2018 1:41 pm
orin stepanek wrote: Tue Oct 02, 2018 12:20 pm
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.
Sju sjösjuka sjömän sköttes av sju sköna sjuksköterskor.
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Re: APOD: Supernumerary Rainbows over New Jersey (2018 Oct 02)

Post by neufer » Tue Oct 02, 2018 3:06 pm

suicidejunkie wrote: Tue Oct 02, 2018 2:52 pm
Holger Nielsen wrote: Tue Oct 02, 2018 7:37 am
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 :arrow: the greater the separation.

Presumably the droplets were smaller higher above the ground.
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Re: APOD: Supernumerary Rainbows over New Jersey (2018 Oct 02)

Post by starsurfer » Tue Oct 02, 2018 3:09 pm

Thor would be proud of this photo!
Click to play embedded YouTube video.

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

Post by De58te » Tue Oct 02, 2018 3:51 pm

starsurfer wrote: Tue Oct 02, 2018 3:09 pm Thor would be proud of this photo!
See Thor by the seashore seeing the supernumerary rainbow thither three times.

Guest

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

Post by Guest » Tue Oct 02, 2018 4:31 pm

Jersey Shore is in PA

Hubert_vh

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

Post by Hubert_vh » Tue Oct 02, 2018 7:16 pm

Holger Nielsen wrote: Tue Oct 02, 2018 7:37 am 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

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

Post by Cousin Ricky » Wed Oct 03, 2018 3:42 am

suicidejunkie wrote: Tue Oct 02, 2018 2:52 pm 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

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

Post by Augray » Wed Oct 03, 2018 10:44 pm

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

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

Post by RJN » Wed Oct 10, 2018 1:44 pm

Guest wrote: Tue Oct 02, 2018 4:31 pmJersey 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

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