Rainbow arches look like they are created by an artist high above the clouds, eliciting a sense of wonder, awe, and mystery. Their perfect formation looks like a creation by use of a compass. And the colors, sometimes pale and pastel and other times rich and vibrant, reflect a moody and emotional sky that rivals work found in the world's greatest museums. Kids who are fascinated with their beauty and magic will love learning all kinds of amazing facts about rainbows.
Rainbow Science Kids Will Find Fascinating
The appearance of a rainbow after a storm is breathtaking. Reading children's books about rainbows will help little ones develop an appreciation for this incredible phenomenon. Nature lovers will adore bringing all of this beautiful color inside with these adorable rainbow gifts for kids of all ages. Next time you witness this colorful formation in the sky with a child, you can also talk about how climate change will continue to impact the frequency of these apparitions. In the meantime, here are some incredible facts about rainbows, including the science behind how and why they form, that kids will find fascinating.
(1) The term RAINBOW is derived the Old English word, renboga.
"Regn" means rain and "boga" signifies anything that is bent or arched. Rainbows are arched because they reflect light from the spherical shape of the sun.
(2) Most people believe rainbows are semi-circles because that is how the human eye sees them when standing on the ground.
However, in reality rainbows are full circles of colorful light. When viewed from an airplane, the complete rainbow circle is visible.
(3) In 250 years, there have been a total of 5 reports of a triple rainbow.
This rare phenomenon occurs when rays of light are reflected three times within a drop of rain.
(4) Rainbows only seem to appear in the morning or early evening.
The truth is that rainbows are actually present during all hours, but may be blocked by buildings, trees, or other objects. When the sun is too high or too low in the sky, the angle projects light that falls below the horizon, thus making it difficult to see.
(5) Hawaii is home to the most frequent appearance of rainbows than any other location on the planet.
The tropical climate on these islands, combined with a plethora of waterfalls, sea sprays and geysers, contributes to the constant formation of colorful arches across the sky. Children's books about Hawaii showcase these amazing formations throughout the pages.
6) The longest lasting rainbow ever observed graced the sky for six hours.
On March 14, 1994 in Sheffield, England, the amazing spectrum of colors lit up the sky from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m.
(7) Two people observing the same exact rainbow do not see the same thing.
Rainbows are optical experiences, not tangible objects that can be touched or felt. They form when light rays bend The arc, shape, and width of its color bands varies based on the viewer.
(8) Earth is the only planet that has rainbows due to its liquid precipitation and sunlight.
You will notice that rainbows never appear on cloudy, overcast days when the sunlight is obstructed. This optical illusion required both the light from sun and droplets from a rainstorm to be present simultaneously. Rainbows only appear during or immediately after rain. That is because white light is reflected and refracted through water droplets. This light then separates into the seven different colors on the spectrum.
(9) Although rainbows are most easily visible during the day, photographers have snapped their beautiful arches at night.
This phenomenon is known as a moon bow. The illusion occurs when the light from the moon is dispersed through water droplets in the air. To the human eye, the bow will appear white since moonlight is dimmer than sunlight. But cameras with long exposures are able to capture the colorful arches against the dark night sky.
(10) Greek philosopher Aristotle is credited with being an early pioneer in the study of rainbows.
He devoted an entire book, Meteorology, Book III, to the study of light and color formation. Some of his theories were later proven incorrect, like the suggestion that rainbows were only made of three colors. But he was the first to discover that the separation of white light into a color spectrum results in the arches that form across the sky.
(11) A moonbow is a rainbow created by the moon.
Also called lunar rainbows, moonbows are extraordinarily rare occurrences. And, even when they are present in the sky, humans often fail to see them because the colors are much more faint than regular rainbows. Light from the moon is refracted through water droplets in the air creating the illusion of a colorful arc. However, since the light of the moon is not as strong as sun rays, the bands of color are difficult to see. This phenomenon only occurs about 10% as frequent as rainbows.
(12) A rainbow actually forms a complete circle.
From the vantage point of an airplane, it is possible to see a fully formed rainbow in the shape of a circle. However, when standing on the ground, only half of the rainbow- or an arch- is visible to the human eye. The ground is blocking us from seeing the entire rainbow, but in the right conditions, you may be lucky enough to spot the entire circle. First, you must be at a very high point and with your eyes directed away from the sun. Second, a large presence of water droplets needs to be present in the sky. When white light hits the droplets, you can see the entire rainbow without the horizon or Earth blocking your view.
(13) Rainbows can typically last for less than an hour.
In order for humans to see rainbows, the sun passes through water droplets sending refractive color visible to the eye. When the droplets evaporate or fall to the ground, the rainbow illusion disappears. The steady movement of rain clouds away from the sun rays also affects the visibility of the colorful arcs. Remarkably, a rainbow in Taiwan lasted for almost 9 hours. These remarkable event occurred in 2017 in the mountains of Taipei.
(14) A process called refraction is what creates the visual effect of a rainbow.
When light from the sun is scattered, the colorful arches make their grand appearance. Refraction is the scientific term for the process by which light passes through a medium that is more dense than air, such as water droplets in the sky. The wavelengths of the light are then split, causing the white light to transform into various lengths as hits the water droplets and is reflected back into the air. Simply put, the specific wavelength of a ray of light determines the color that is perceived by the human eye. With all of this activity involving the splitting of wavelengths, a magnificent rainbow is created.
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