Mistboog vastgelegd in Missouri

On Oct 10th in Prosser, Missouri, the day began with a layer of fog blanketing the landscape. As the sun came up,  "I noticed a beam of sunlight piercing the mist and landing in my backyard," says resident Juli McGahey. "I went outside and noticed a beautiful white rainbow." 

photo:  Juli McGahey
"I couldn't believe what I was seeing so I took this picture to show my husband!" she says.

In fact, this is a fogbow--a close cousin of the rainbow.  Both rainbows and fogbows are caused by light reflected from water droplets. When the droplets are large (rain), they act like prisms, spreading the colors wide for easy visibility. When the droplets are small (fog), the prism-action is reduced, and colors are smeared together into a ghostly-white arc. 

Look for them on foggy mornings whenever sunlight lances through the dispersing mist. They are less colorful than rainbows, but in their own way just as beautiful.
Bron: http://www.spaceweather.com/  | Gewijzigd: 30 januari 2017, 13:14 uur, door Joyce.s