Over the Rainbow: LeVar Burton Explains How DOUBLE Rainbows Form

TL;DR

Double rainbows are formed by light reflecting twice inside water droplets, creating an inverted and fainter rainbow above the primary one.

Transcript

[Intro] Hank Green: A couple of weeks ago I told you about how rainbows are formed, but I did not tell you ANYTHING about double rainbows. Many of your voiced your curiosity about this phenomenon in the comments, and luckily, I know just the rainbow expert to explain. LeVar Burton: (laughing) Thanks Hank. Hi, I'm LeVar Burton, and you may know me f... Read More

Key Insights

• 💦 Rainbows are formed by sunlight reflecting and refracting inside water droplets.
• 💦 Double rainbows occur when light reflects twice inside water droplets, appearing above the primary rainbow.
• 🌈 Additional rainbow phenomena include tertiary, quaternary, supernumerary, and twinned rainbows.
• 🤕 Alexander's band is the dark area between the primary and secondary rainbows.
• 🌈 Rainbows can continue beyond double, forming tertiary and quaternary rainbows.
• 🌈 Twinned rainbows are uninverted pairs believed to result from different-sized raindrops.
• 😀 LeVar Burton discusses the Reading Rainbow Kickstarter for making the app available to more readers.

Questions & Answers

Q: How are double rainbows formed?

Double rainbows occur when light reflects twice inside water droplets, appearing nine degrees above the primary rainbow. The secondary rainbow is fainter and inverted compared to the primary.

Q: What is the dark area between the two rainbows called?

The dark area between the primary and secondary rainbows is known as Alexander's band. It appears extra dark because the droplets refract sunlight at angles that do not reach the observer's eyes.

Q: Can rainbows go beyond double?

Yes, rainbows can form tertiary or quaternary rainbows when light bounces three or four times inside raindrops, but they are rare and difficult to see without special equipment.

Q: What causes twinned rainbows?

Twinned rainbows are duplicated, uninverted pairs of rainbows that split off the same base. They are believed to form when raindrops of different sizes are present in a storm.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Rainbows require light, water, and the observer, with sunlight reflecting and refracting to create colors.

• Double rainbows occur when light reflects twice inside water droplets, appearing nine degrees above the primary rainbow.

• Additional rainbow phenomena include tertiary rainbows, supernumerary rainbows, and twinned rainbows due to different-sized raindrops.