rainbows
Taken by mark staples on July 22, 2014 @ little lake santa fe
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  Camera Used: Samsung Galaxy Nexus
Exposure Time: 693/1000000
Aperture: f/2.8
ISO: Array
Date Taken: 2014:07:22 18:55:58
  
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just got in from sailing before the storm and looked up to see a rainbow directly overhead. 6pm eastern, 2.5 hrs before sunset. The arc was short and seemed to be away from the western setting sun less than 45deg away. Turning to the east a typical rainbow appeared in the approaching storm. I have never seen a rainbow straight overhead. There is a lake between me and the sun. Could this be from a sunbeam reflected off that lake?
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The rainbow straight overhead is a circumzenithal arc, one of the many kinds of sun halos. It is made in a similar way to rainbows, by refracted light, but passing through ice crystals in the clouds, not water droplets. A rare, beautiful sight, especially when coupled with a (real) rainbow on the horizon! The Atmospheric Optics website has a lot of info: http://www.atoptics.co.uk/halo/cza.htm

P.S. Reflection rainbows also exist! But they will not reach all the way overhead: http://www.atoptics.co.uk/rainbows/reflect.htm
Posted by DianaP 2014-07-23 07:48:10
 
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