APOD
Astronomy Picture of the Day
Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.
A Full Circle Rainbow over Australia
Explanation: Have you ever seen an entire rainbow? From the ground, typically, only the top portion of a rainbow is visible because directions toward the ground have fewer raindrops. From the air, though, the entire 360 degree circle of a rainbow is more commonly visible. Pictured here , a full circle rainbow was captured over Cottesloe Beach near Perth , Australia last year by a helicopter flying between a setting sun and a downpour. An observer-dependent phenomenon primarily caused by the internal reflection of sunlight by raindrops, the 84-degree diameter rainbow followed the helicopter, intact, for about 5 kilometers. As a bonus , a second rainbow that was more faint and color-reversed was visible outside the first.
APOD Astrophotographers: Has your work ever been used for scientific discovery?
| Date | September 30, 2014 |
|---|---|
| Credit | Image Credit & Copyright: Colin Leonhardt ( Birdseye View Photography ) |
| Authors & editors: | Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP) |
| A service of: |
ASD at NASA / GSFC, NASA Science Activation & Michigan Tech. U. |



