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Supernumerary Rainbows over New Jersey

Explanation: Yes, but can your rainbow do this? After the remnants of Hurricane Florence passed over the Jersey Shore, New Jersey, USA in 2018, 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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There really are similarities between the supernumerary rainbows and the concentric waves in a pond! I can understand that the supernumerary rainbow phenomenon was used to demonstrate the wave nature of light!

Ann

Ann wrote: ↑Sun Nov 27, 2022 5:50 am

Supernumerary Rainbows over New Jersey Image Credit & Copyright: John Entwistle

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Garden pond with concentric waves at the surface. Credit: I don't know.

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There really are similarities between the supernumerary rainbows and the concentric waves in a pond! I can understand that the supernumerary rainbow phenomenon was used to demonstrate the wave nature of light!

Ann

more like Newton's rings


I wonder why Newton
1) for a start, gave good names for the bands of the visual spectrum ROYGBIV ███████
2) then later let the people call the mix between two rings "purple" █ when in fact it is pink, or fuchsia █

Supernumerary! That's a new word for me! It is amazing what
sunshine can do with water! Supernumerary cats!

Bending light produces mind-bending opportunities. From Terrascopes to gravity scopes.

The possibilities are supernumerary!

Fred the Cat wrote: ↑Sun Nov 27, 2022 7:07 pm Bending light produces mind-bending opportunities. From Terrascopes to gravity scopes.

The possibilities are supernumerary!

And you posts are always replete with interesting links!

Secondary rainbows have inverted colours. https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/le ... e-rainbows