From Myth to Reality: Photos Prove Triple Rainbows Exist

[OKIsItJustMe]

http://www.osa.org/About_Osa/Newsroom/News_Releases/Releases/10.2011/Photos-Prove-Triple-Rainbows-Exist.aspx

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From Myth to Reality: Photos Prove Triple Rainbows Exist

Single rainbows are inspiring, double rainbows are rare, but tertiary rainbows have been elusive until a meteorologist provided guidelines that showed how to find them

WASHINGTON, Oct. 5—Few people have ever claimed to see three rainbows arcing through the sky at once. In fact, scientific reports of these phenomena, called tertiary rainbows, were so rare—only five in 250 years—that until now many scientists believed sightings were as fanciful as Leprechaun’s gold at a rainbow's end. These legendary optical rarities, caused by three reflections of each light ray within a raindrop, have finally been confirmed, thanks to photographic perseverance and a new meteorological model that provides the scientific underpinnings to find them. The work is described in a series of papers in a special issue published this week in the Optical Society’s (OSA) journal Applied Optics.

In addition to the confirmed photo of a tertiary rainbow, the optical treasure hunt went one step further, as revealed in another photo that shows the shimmering trace of a fourth (quaternary) rainbow.

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(a) Original image of a third-order (tertiary) rainbow. The image was taken May 15, 2011, in Kampfelbach, Germany and is the first-ever picture of a tertiary rainbow. Two reference positions (A and B) for image orientation are indicated. (b) Processed version of image (a) after contrast expansion and unsharp masking, showing a rainbow-like pattern next to the image center, marked by the arrows. Credit: Michael Grossmann/Applied Optics.

The third-order (tertiary) rainbow (left), accompanied by the fourth-order (quaternary) rainbow (right). They appear on the sunward side of the sky, at approximately 40° and 45°, respectively, from the Sun. This is the first picture ever of a quaternary rainbow in nature and the second picture ever of a tertiary rainbow. Credit: Michael Theusner/Applied Optics

[kestrel91316]

1. How odd. I had no idea triple rainbows were so rare. I have seen more then a couple.

I think I might have even seen 4 once.

Probably either in the Rockies or Sierras in the summer.

[LiberalEsto]

2. I've seen triple and quadruple any number of times

both in NJ and in Rockville, Maryland.

Usually one rainbow is really bright, and if you look carefully, you'll see others that are much fainter right nect to the main one.

[eppur_se_muova]

5. I saw a fantastic multiple rainbow in Pittsburgh -- at least five components

Not all formed complete arcs, and some were extremely faint. I think it helped to be viewing from the 12 floor. As in the photo, two bows appeared next to each other with one normal, the other reversed order of colors.

This followed immediately after the first tornado reported in that area for decades. Must have been a day for rarities.

[AlecBGreen]

3. please dont hate me

Neil Youngs double rainbow...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dM6uEzTXR1s

If you need the backstory, YouTube double rainbow (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQSNhk5ICTI) get ready. Its... intense :)

[sakabatou]

4. Here it is on youtube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58Axt7SIbeY

[Thor_MN]

6. Coincidentally, I saw one last week

Right at sunset, so it was extremely high in the sky.