We know about rainbows from our childhood but not a lot of us know a lot of interesting facts about them. I invite you to join me in this journey to find out more about them and hope you will enjoy it.
Do not miss the last part where I’ve added a magic trick%)) to create your rainbow whenever you are.
FACT 1 - A rainbow is an optical illusion

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Yep, it is an illusion that means you can not really touch it - it doesn’t exist in a specific spot in the sky. It exist only in the eyes of a person looking at it. So how we are actually seeing it? The picture above explains it pretty clear: the observer is seeing the reflection of the light which is above him. The light hits a droplet in front of the observer under a 40 to 42 degree angle. And this is how we actually able to see one of the most beautiful illusions in nature.
So all it takes it actually to be in the right place in the right time, then? Hm… lets see further.. But for sure someone was…

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FACT 2 - There is maybe a pot of gold in the end of each rainbow but there is no end…
Let’s dive into it even more. The rainbow is actually a full circle. You very rarely get to see this while around surface level, but if you happen to be in the air… this is seen really well!
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FACT 3 - No one sees the same rainbow
No one is alike therefore the rainbow you see is completely different from what your neighbour is going to see. Why?
First of all, it is about the positioning - the appearance of a rainbow depends on 2 factors: 1) where the observer is standing and 2) where the source of light is shining. Therefore it is not possible to have 2 people staring in the same position and making sure the light will be shining from the same position. In other words it is can’t be done so each of us is enjoying our own rainbow%))

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FACT 4& 5 ROYGBIV is only a part of the story…
FACT 4 . There are more colours than we know
(BTW: ROYGBIV, or Roy G. Biv, if you haven’t already guessed or known it stands for red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet.)
What we see is only part of a rainbow. However, if you use an instrument called a spectrometer you would see that there are additional colours to a rainbow. There is infrared (which is the part of the spectrum beyond red) and ultraviolet (beyond violet). There also radio waves (beyond infrared), x-rays (beyond ultraviolet), and gamma radiation (beyond x-rays) according to National Geographic Source. (link0
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FACT 5 There are rainbows of just ONE colour
As rainbows are subjective (so they depend on a person or an object who sees them) recent studies shows that only a fraction of traditional ROYGBIV colours are usually seen. Furthermore, there are at least 2 types of rainbows formed by just one colour
Red Rainbow or Monochrome Rainbow
This is the type you most probably can see in sunrise or sunset as the blue spectre will be less intense so the human eye can only see the red colour.
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Fogbow
They form with the same mechanism as a rainbow but with a small difference - the drops reflecting a sun light (or any other source of light) so small that they can not produce the whole spectrum of colour. In most cases seen so far they have mostly a white colour with occasional, minor reddish hues. Just see for yourself:

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FACT 6 There are different types and shapes
We already mentioned that some the colour of a rainbow can vary but so do its forms as well. There are actually a lot of types the scientist clarify but I want to stop here on the most interesting from my perspective. Not much to be said - lets just enjoy%))
Double rainbows
Just pay attention that the second rainbow is in not in the ROYGBIV colours but in VIBGYOR order. The other interesting fact about it is that it was first described in 200AD by Alexander of Aphrodisias and the dark blue part between 2 of them named after him.
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Moonbow rainbow
One of the rarest types of rainbows is actually caused by moonlight instead of sunlight! Not so bright but very beautiful.
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Upside-down rainbow or circumzenithal Arc
I love this type as they make me smile%) Do they make you smile? Though they are pretty rare to see and technically speaking not a rainbow as they are formed by light going though the ice crystals not a water drop or mist.
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“Fire rainbow” or a circumhorizontal arc
Although it again not a rainbow but more an ice halo, still I decided to mention it here as lot of people still call it a “fire rainbow”
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So, remember my earlier statement that all it takes to see a rainbow is to be in the right place and right time? Actually the answer is NO, it doesn’t and I will show you how.
We just went to though a lot of interesting facts about rainbows but from my point of view there is an even more interesting fact that awaits us…
FACT 7. The NEXT LEVEL - MORE ILLUSIONS
There are even more illusions that have been created just from a simple rainbow, which is as we found out is an illusion itself.
Is it possible? One Illusion which is becoming the base for another? Yes, to be precise we are going to go though 2 of them.
The afterimage RAINBOW
Ok, how about you see the coloured rainbow and when it turns into the gray image but you still see the coloured rainbow? Is it possible? The answer is YES, it is possible. Not sure? Try this one and find out for yourself. Start when the rainbow is in colour and concentrates on the dark dot in the centre. When it changes to the gray, keep looking and you see the colored rainbow which will stay utill you move your eyes:
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And last but not the least…
This I love most of all and hope you like it too. Can I create a rainbow? Just where I am right now and without waiting for the right time and set of light conditions? Yes, and in fact your own brain made it possible. So lets start…
Just look on this image for approximately 20 seconds, concentrating on the small black dot in the middle and afterwards look at the sky, or a light-coloured wall, or the ceiling… and see your own rainbow.

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So now I leave you with all of these facts, illusions, and a way for you to crete your own rainbow! Hopefully you are happy as now you are able to create your own magic anywhere%))
Enjoy your life,
Sasha Genji
PS: If you liked the post feel free to re-steem, follow and comment.
PPS: This is my second article in the series of illusions so if you missed the first one it is here
What it real? The games our brain plays with colours
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