UCSB Science Line
Sponge Spicules Nerve Cells Galaxy Abalone Shell Nickel Succinate X-ray Lens Lupine
UCSB Science Line
Home
How it Works
Ask a Question
Search Topics
Webcasts
Our Scientists
Science Links
Contact Information
How does a fire rainbow sit in the sky all bunched up unlike a normal rainbow?
Question Date: 2016-02-18
Answer 1:

The fire rainbow happens because the sun is reflecting off of ice crystals instead of raindrops. Ice has different properties than liquid water when it comes to bending sunlight, and this is seen in the colors that it produces.

The fire rainbow is called circumhorizontal arc, and you can read more about it here

You can also enjoy the following link and learn more about "fire rainbow". Click here to read



Click Here to return to the search form.

University of California, Santa Barbara Materials Research Laboratory National Science Foundation
This program is co-sponsored by the National Science Foundation and UCSB School-University Partnerships
Copyright © 2020 The Regents of the University of California,
All Rights Reserved.
UCSB Terms of Use