Double Rainbow

Thanks to my wife Mitzi for dragging me out of the house to see this, as it was her turn to walk the dogs. Beautiful!

People out and about at 6:50 a.m. on Tuesday (7/15/08) had a feast for the eyes as they looked to the west. Not just one full rainbow, but two are seen in the sky above Grand Island. This unusual “secondary rainbow” occurs when raindrops high in the atmosphere refract and reflect light back to the viewer. These raindrops are higher in the atmosphere than those which cause the lower “primary rainbow” and internally reflect the incoming sunlight twice rather than just once, which makes them special.