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Mt. Wendelstein, Bavarian Alps, Germany

Latitude: 47° 42' 10'' N

Longitude: 12° 0' 43'' E

19 June 2011 1846 (Local Time)
Camera direction: towards SE

Image P/S code: P.13.5.1

Image I.D.: 4175

Primary rainbow
This primary rainbow showing the colours of the spectrum was seen during a shower on Mt. Wendelstein in the Bavarian Alps, Germany. The colours are more vivid when there is a thick "screen" of raindrops than when there are fewer drops. Red is always on the outside of the primary bow.
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© Claudia Hinz
Mt. Wendelstein, Bavarian Alps, Germany
Latitude: 47° 42' 10'' N
Longitude: 12° 0' 43'' E
19 June 2011 1846 (Local Time)

Camera direction: towards SE
Image P/S code: P.13.5.1
Image I.D.: 4175
Primary rainbow with supernumerary bows
Inside of the primary rainbow in this picture is a series of extra or supernumerary bows. These narrow bands of orange, green and violet colour are due to the interference of light waves.

It can also be seen that the area outside of the primary rainbow is noticeably darker than the area inside of the bow. This darker area of sky is known as Alexander's dark band.
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© Pam Gore
Hinuera, Waikato, New Zealand
Latitude: 37° 52' 56'' S
Longitude: 175° 45' 36'' E
19 October 2010 1812 (Local Time)

Image P/S code: P.13.5
Image I.D.: 4131
Low-elevation rainbows
Rainbows are seen in a part of the sky opposite the light source, which in this case is the Sun. The rainbow arcs are always centred on a point relative to the observer directly opposite the sun, known as the antisolar point. Therefore, with the Sun located high in the sky behind the observer, the antisolar point in this example is located below the bottom of the photograph. For this reason, when the sun is at a high elevation in the sky, rainbow arcs are at low elevation.

This photograph from Brannenburg, Germany, looking across the valley of the River Inn, shows a primary rainbow with supernumerary bows. The sky is darker outside the primary bow than inside – a phenomenon known as Alexander's dark band. Higher in the sky is the secondary bow. Note that the colour sequence of the secondary bow is always the reverse sequence of the primary, and that the secondary bow is fainter than the primary.
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© Claudia Hinz
Brannenburg, Germany
Latitude: 47° 44' 20'' N
Longitude: 12° 5' 18'' E
21 August 2009 1624 (Local Time)

Camera direction: towards ENE
Image P/S code: P.13.5.2
Image I.D.: 4159
Reflection and reflected rainbows
Rare multiple rainbows are seen in this photograph, taken at Loch na h-Aibhne Ruaidhe on the Isle of Lewis, Scotland, UK, at about 1300 hours on 18 December 2011.

The original image is on the left, while on the right is a digitally enhanced version with increased contrast and colour saturation. The fainter bows are more clearly visible in the enhanced image, and a total of seven bows can be seen.

The bows are:primary, secondary, reflection primary, reflected primary, reflected secondary, reflected reflection primary and a very faint reflected reflection secondary.

Sunlight reflected upwards from the smooth loch (lake) surface before reaching the raindrops was responsible for the reflection bow. The loch was partially frozen, with only a thin layer of water on top of the ice. This prevented waves from forming on the surface of the loch, despite a light to moderate breeze.

The reflected bows were produced by sunlight reflected from the loch after the sunlight has passed through raindrops. This reflection inverts the rainbow, and the bow centre is then above the horizon.

The reflected reflection bows were formed when sunlight reflected upwards from the water to meet the raindrops, and the resulting rainbow rays of light then reflected off the water to the observer.
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© Edward Graham
Loch na h-Aibhne Ruaidhe, Isle of Lewis, Scotland, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Latitude: 58° 2' 15'' N
Longitude: 6° 43' 3'' W
18 December 2011 1300 (Local Time)

Camera direction: towards NNW
Image P/S code: P.13.5.5
Image I.D.: 4695
Supernumerary bows and Alexander's dark band
This photograph from Japan, taken after the passage of a typhoon, shows a primary rainbow together with supernumerary bows. The primary rainbow displays the colours of the spectrum, as a result of the refraction of the sunlight by raindrops. The extra, or supernumerary, bows inside the primary display green and violet colours as a result of the interference of light waves.

A faint secondary bow is visible outside of the primary rainbow arc. Note that the sequence of colours is always reversed in the secondary bow. The sky is darker between the primary and secondary bows compared to inside the primary; this darker area is known as Alexander's dark band.

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© Masayuki Takada
Ishihara, Kumagaya, Saitama Prefecture, Japan
Latitude: 36° 9' 7'' N
Longitude: 139° 22' 7'' E
30 August 2016 1738 (Local Time)

Camera direction: towards ENE
Image P/S code: S.13.5.3
Image I.D.: 4815
Red rainbow and anticrepuscular rays
In a rain shower near sunset, this primary rainbow forms a semicircle centred on the horizon directly opposite the setting Sun. The bow lacks the full colours of the spectrum because when the Sun is near the horizon, the shorter blue and green wavelengths of light are scattered by their long pathway through the atmosphere. The direct light rays forming the rainbow are therefore proportionally higher in the longer, red wavelengths of light.

Converging on the antisolar point (the point directly opposite the Sun) are dark streaks alternating with light beams. These are anticrepuscular rays.
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© Trond Strømme
Henningsvær, Norway
Latitude: 68° 30' 59'' N
Longitude: 14° 11' 49'' E
26 July 2015 2202 (Local Time)

Camera direction: towards SSE
Image P/S code: S.13.5.1.1
Image I.D.: 5620

Primary rainbow

Primary rainbow with supernumerary bows

Low-elevation rainbows

Reflection and reflected rainbows

Supernumerary bows and Alexander's dark band

Red rainbow and anticrepuscular rays