Last week we captured what I could only term a "rainbow blob" just north east of the SpaceSpot Observatory. We asked atmospheric optics expert Les Cowley to tell us more about what we're seeing. He explains, "This is a rainbow fragment. It is interesting because the rain producing the bow is quite close. Why only a fragment? The nearby rain is very localised and also I suspect that other clouds are shadowing the sun to the right of the rainbow patch and so preventing raindrops there from producing more of the bow."

For even more information on rainbows, be sure to visit Les Cowley's Atmospheric Optics website.

Have some rainbow or other atmospheric phenomena images that you'd like to see online at SpaceSpot? Send them to images@spacespot.com. Be sure to include your name, email address, and any details you have about the image such as your location, camera settings, time of day/night, and whatever else comes to mind.

~ Words by Steve Cullen
~ Images by Steve Cullen
© 2007 Mondo Brands LLC

__________________
Mondo brings you the ultimate enthusiast communities on the web.