What is a rainbow? How does it appear?

The rainbow is one of the most amazing phenomena of nature. What is a rainbow? How does it appear? These questions interested people at all times. Even Aristotle tried to unravel her secret. There are many beliefs and legends associated with it (the road to the next world, the connection between heaven and earth, a symbol of abundance, etc.). Some people believed that those who pass under the rainbow will change their sex.

Her beauty amazes and admires. Looking at this colorful "magic bridge", I want to believe in miracles. The appearance of a rainbow in the sky notifies that the bad weather has ended and a clear sunny day has come.

When is a rainbow? It can be observed during rain or after a shower. But for its occurrence there is not enough lightning and thunder. It appears only if the sun breaks through the clouds. Certain conditions are necessary for it to be noticed. It is necessary to be between the rain (it should be in front) and the sun (it's behind). Your eyes, the center of the rainbow and the sun should be on the same line, otherwise you will not see this magic bridge!

Surely many noticed what happens when a ray of white light falls on a soap bubble or on the edge of a bevelled mirror. It is divided into a variety of colors (green, blue, red, yellow, purple, etc.). The object that breaks the beam into the components of the color is called the prism. And the resulting multicolored line - the spectrum.

So what is a rainbow? This is the curved spectrum, the color band formed as a result of the separation of the light beam as it passes through the raindrops (in this case they are a prism).

The colors of the solar spectrum are arranged in a certain order. On the one hand - red, then orange, next - yellow, green, blue, blue, purple. The rainbow is clearly visible, while the droplets of rain fall evenly and often. The more often, the brighter it is. Thus, in the raindrop, three processes occur at once: refraction, reflection, and decay of light.

Where can I see the rainbow? At fountains, waterfalls, against a background of drops sprinkled by a watering machine , etc. Its location in the sky depends on the position of the sun. You can admire the whole rainbow circle, if you are high in the sky. The higher the sun rises above the horizon, the less the colored semicircle becomes.

The first attempt to explain what a rainbow was, was undertaken in 1611 by Antonio Dominis. His explanation was different from the biblical, so he was sentenced to death. In 1637, Descartes gave a scientific explanation of this phenomenon on the basis of refraction and reflection of sunlight. At that time they did not yet know about the ray decomposition into a spectrum, that is, dispersion. Therefore the rainbow of Descartes was white. After 30 years, Newton "colored" it, supplementing the theory of his colleague with the explanations of the refraction of colored rays in rain drops. Despite the fact that the theory has more than 300 years, it correctly articulates what a rainbow, Its main features (the arrangement of colors, the position of arcs, angular parameters).

It's amazing how the familiar light and water create together a completely new, unimaginable beauty, a work of art given to us by nature. The rainbow always causes a surge of emotions and remains in your memory for a long time.