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Rainbow, as you know, is a meteorological, optical and atmospheric phenomenon that occurs when rays light at a certain angle falls on the smallest droplets of water in in the air.
Rainbow classification
Rainbows occur after rains and near waterfalls, and sometimes even during fogs – such a rainbow is called foggy and is considered very rare. Few people know that, in addition to the Sun, the appearance of a rainbow may also contribute to the moon. Moon rainbows are still found less often, so you can consider yourself truly lucky if someday you will see at night this amazing phenomenon.
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A group of French meteorologists led by Jean Ricard developed a rainbow classification system. It presents twelve types of this atmospheric phenomenon, moreover, a new classification allows even the people farthest from science determine under what conditions all kinds of multi-colored arcs arise in the air. European results researchers recently presented at a conference organized by American Geophysical Union.
Scientists report that single rainbows are most common. Double rainbow, when near the main arc you can see a paler is much less common. Triple rainbows are even rarer – many of we will never be able to contemplate her in her life. And finally a four-arc rainbow is the most rarely encountered – beyond the last century she was photographed only three times. By the way, the last time she was captured in a photograph in April of this year in New York.
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Why is it necessary
Contrary to popular belief, not every rainbow consists of seven colors. Sometimes one or two shades can be absent, and it even happens that in the middle of the arc appears dark streak. It all depends on the size of water droplets in the air. and the angle of incidence of light rays on them.
In order to account for the huge variety of rainbows, meteorologists have studied several thousand photographs and eventually broke this atmospheric phenomenon into twelve conditional groups. Jean Ricard notes that the resulting system was so simple that if desired any layman can use it, even the most uneducated.
According to the researchers, their work allows not only to distinguish one type of rainbow from another. The French are convinced that such a system will help humanity in the search for extraterrestrial life forms. The thing is, that idiosyncratic rainbows should be observed on some exoplanets. If rainbows can form in the planet’s atmosphere, means the celestial body contains water in liquid form. And where there is water, there may well be living organisms.
Water Life
