Many Many Rainbows.... Meteorologist needed (With Photos)

Hey there Above Top Secretions,

I was wondering if anyone can help me with this. At about 1 p.m. today my friend and I noticed a strange rainbow shape in his windshield. We then looked up overhead and observed a double rainbow, two opposite rainbows touching at the apex of the arches. Then we noticed another spectrum, not quite bow shaped in the south, then another in the west, then a few more. Some faded as new ones appeared, but the main arch was right above us. All together there were between 5 and 8 spectra/rainbows in the sky, none below about 30 degrees of the horizon. Not many clouds, and it lasted till about 3 p.m.

Is this normal?

[edit on 9-11-2009 by dashen]

[edit on 9-11-2009 by dashen]

[edit on 9-11-2009 by dashen]

reply to post by dashen


What were the weather conditions at the time?

Was there rain in the area?

And also, where the rainbows in the sky, or actually in the clouds?

reply to post by OzWeatherman


It was unseasonably warm, mostly blue sky with a few wispy clouds here and there. The rainbows were in blue sky. No rain to speak of.

Originally posted by dashen
reply to post by OzWeatherman

 

It was unseasonably warm, mostly blue sky with a few wispy clouds here and there. The rainbows were in blue sky. No rain to speak of.

Ok, the high clouds were probably cirrus, and the fact that there were colours in blue sky suggests to me that there was a layer of a cloud called cirrostratus which is often transparent. These clouds often produce a phenomenen called iridescence (aka irisation) which is actually produced by the sun refracting off ice crystals (or water droplets) at the leading edge of clouds.

www.atoptics.co.uk...

Sorry the link isnt exactly what u were seeing, but its what I suspect this is what it was

If thats not it, it could of been a cloud bow

www.atoptics.co.uk...

or one of these

www.atoptics.co.uk...

Good explanations on those pages themselves

[edit on 9/11/2009 by OzWeatherman]

reply to post by OzWeatherman


Do you think this accounts for the reverse double rainbow that persisted for hours overhead in the same spot?

Also none of the pictures linked look like what we saw. The main bow was small, and was touching a areverse facing rainbow at the the apex. And the non bow spectra werent moving like clouds, mind you this is 1 pm. I have photos, how do I post them?


[edit on 9-11-2009 by dashen]

I was lucky enough to catch a glimpse of a double rainbow yesterday on my way home from the gulf coast (texas) yesterday. Quite a beautiful sight I must say.

-E-

Originally posted by dashen
reply to post by OzWeatherman

 

Do you think this accounts for the reverse double rainbow that persisted for hours overhead in the same spot?

Also none of the pictures linked look like what we saw. The main bow was small, and was touching a areverse facing rainbow at the the apex. And the non bow spectra werent moving like clouds, mind you this is 1 pm. I have photos, how do I post them?
[edit on 9-11-2009 by dashen]

Well, as soon as you get those photos up I will take a better look

Upload them to ATS media first (use your user name and password to log in), then upload then to your profile, then when thats done, copy and paste the image link to this thread. Alternatively use imageshack or photobucket if you have them

Originally posted by dashen
Hey there Above Top Secretions,

I was wondering if anyone can help me with this. At about 1 p.m. today my friend and I noticed a strange rainbow shape in his windshield. We then looked up overhead and observed a double rainbow, two opposite rainbows touching at the apex of the arches. Then we noticed another spectrum, not quite bow shaped in the south, then another in the west, then a few more. Some faded as new ones appeared, but the main arch was right above us. All together there were between 5 and 8 spectra/rainbows in the sky, none below about 30 degrees of the horizon. Not many clouds, and it lasted till about 3 p.m.

Is this normal?

no!!! it really isn't.

two rainbows arced in opposite directions!! if you mean that it looked like this )( then it's unlikely to happen without two suns, then to have one in the west and one in the south!!!! this needs lightsources shining from two totally different angles. the main arch being directly above you needs a light source from the earth itself.

photos would be good.

Originally posted by dashen


today my friend and I noticed a strange rainbow shape in his windshield.

Did you ask him if he had recently applied 'rain-x' on his windshield?

Sounds like you were seeing rainbows in the windshield and not actually in the sky...

PEACE and LOVE...

Originally posted by pieman
no!!! it really isn't.

two rainbows arced in opposite directions!! if you mean that it looked like this )( then it's unlikely to happen without two suns, then to have one in the west and one in the south!!!! this needs lightsources shining from two totally different angles. the main arch being directly above you needs a light source from the earth itself.

photos would be good.

Ummm, yes it is. Ever heard of a reflection bow? This occurs when the sun reflects of water vapour or bodies of water, and you can actually be facing away from the sun

The source of the reflected light is usually water behind you, i.e. sunwards. It can be in front of you but then only the base of the reflected bow will be seen.

www.atoptics.co.uk...

Ok here you go folks...









I dont know what the heck is the matter with these, but i think ATS cropped it, look at the thumbnails.

[edit on 9-11-2009 by dashen]

reply to post by pieman



Exactly, the persistent one overhead looked like a )(. It lasted for hours.

The rest were scattered about at the same time.

reply to post by dashen



Ok my friend you have got something truly remarkable here, and I have to say Im kind of jealous, lol.

What it appears to be is whats called an infralateral arc, which is actually a rare halo phenomena. If its not that, judging by the images, I would call it a cirumzenithal arc, which is a little more commone, but no less spectacular

www.atoptics.co.uk...

www.atoptics.co.uk...

www.atoptics.co.uk...

Either way, I can say with 100% certainty that you have a type of halo superimposed onto a transparent layer of cirrostratus.

Nice images

Originally posted by OzWeatherman
reply to post by dashen

 

spectacular

www.atoptics.co.uk...

www.atoptics.co.uk...

www.atoptics.co.uk...

Either way, I can say with 100% certainty that you have a type of halo superimposed onto a transparent layer of cirrostratus.

Nice images

Good Show!. Thats about exactly what I saw, thank you so very much. I think we saw about four or five of the different arcs described in the first link ant the same time. this is why ATS is a force to be reckoned with. Experts and amateurs in nearly every field can come together shine light on any degree of mystery. All hail OZWeatherman.

[edit on 9-11-2009 by dashen]

[edit on 9-11-2009 by dashen]

Going by the website provided by OzWeatherman we saw
a supralateral arc
a 46 degree halo
an infralateral arc
a hastings arc
and some diffuse arcs.

Odds, anyone?

Are they sun-dogs. People claimed to see sun-dogs or parahelions in the sky in China just before the May 2008 earthquake.. You can get the youtube pictures if you google, China earthquake and haarp, But computer is not cooperating and I can't get them to run, but here is one picture

www.youtube.com...

reply to post by m khan


Definately no sun dogs. See above thread.

Apparently they were some freakishly well arranged ice crystals in the stratosphere.

reply to post by dashen


I saw something very similar once and was in awe. I was actually in a plane at the time and descending into Kansas City, but it was one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen... there were rainbows in every direction I could see.

Great pics you got there!

Originally posted by dashen
Going by the website provided by OzWeatherman we saw
a supralateral arc
a 46 degree halo
an infralateral arc
a hastings arc
and some diffuse arcs.

Odds, anyone?

Odds - exactly -
this is really the question of the hour.
What are the odds?

Originally posted by gemineye
reply to post by dashen

 

I saw something very similar once and was in awe. I was actually in a plane at the time and descending into Kansas City, but it was one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen... there were rainbows in every direction I could see.

Great pics you got there!

Do you recall what year was it that you saw these many rainbows?