red rainbow | EarthSky

Beach with building on the side and a large pink double rainbow under cloudy sky over the ocean.

A red rainbow happens when the sun is low

A red rainbow has a surreal beauty, but its explanation is fairly ordinary. It's created via the same physics that makes a sunset or sunrise looks red.

Red rainbow over Bellingham, Washington

An EarthSky Community member caught an unusual red rainbow arching high into the sky.

Red rainbow at sunset, over Estonia

Jüri Voit captured this image on July 6 in Kuusalu, Estonia. It looks like a special kind of rainbow, called a red rainbow.

Double red rainbow over New Mexico

It's rare to see a red rainbow. Sky conditions have to be just right, and the timing has to be right. If you do see one, you'll never forget it.

Transparent insect wings actually rainbow-colored

Insect wings that look transparent and drab to our eyes apparently look more like peacock feathers to other insects.

Black-and-white view of flying saucer shaped clouds over a mountainous landscape.

Cloud shapes are a useful tool for predicting weather

If you become familiar with cloud shapes, it can help you know what type of weather might be coming. Read more to find out how to predict weather by the clouds.

View of a big city and green hillside with an almost full rainbow showing.

Can you see a full circle rainbow? All you need to know

It's possible to see the full circle rainbow, but sky conditions have to be just right. They're most often seen by pilots, who have a good view of the sky.

Have you seen a white rainbow? That’s a fogbow!

Have you ever seen a rainbow but without any color? That's a fogbow, also called a white rainbow or ghost rainbow. Here's how they form.

Glory on an exoplanet: Reddish planet with circular concentric rainbow-like feature on right side, with stars in background.

Rainbow-like glory on an exoplanet is 1st-ever detected

For the 1st time, astronomers say they have detected a glory on an exoplanet. Glories are a natural phenomenon, but until now seen only on Earth and Venus.

Seven vertical double, narrow lines of colorful cloud with a jet at the top of each.

Iridescent contrails? Rainbow contrails? Something else?

They look like iridescent contrails. But, are they? We asked Les Cowley, an atmospheric optics expert, who gave a different opinion.

Colorful clouds above a tree-and-snow-covered ridgeline

Iridescent clouds have rainbow colors

Clouds with rainbow colors are called iridescent clouds. The names comes from Iris, the Greek personification of the rainbow. Photos here.

Here’s why rainbows have a curved or arcing shape

Rainbows have a curved shape because they're made from light reflected after hitting spherical raindrops. Learn more about rainbows here.

Faint crepuscular rays against gray clouds.

Sunrays on Mars, captured by Curiosity

NASA's Curiosity rover has captured our 1st clear image of crepuscular rays or sunrays on Mars. The rover also caught cloud iridescence on Mars.

Double rainbow arching over a house and tree.

Climate change will produce more rainbows

Researchers from the University of Hawaii found that climate change will bring more rainbows to higher latitudes and higher elevations.

Planet with large areas of green, teal, orange, and magenta on differently textured areas.

Pluto terrain in rainbow colors

Take a look at Pluto in this rich false-color image. The colors help to highlight the differences in the dwarf planet's terrain.

Predicting solar storms to protect Earth

Predicting solar storms isn't easy. We're still a long way from forecasting space weather events days in advance. But we're getting closer.

A whale at the ocean surface, with a cloud of rainbow-like light above.

Whales make rainbows

Whales are magnificent creatures and ... whales make rainbows. Photos and video here.

Rainbow coming out of bottom of cloud like a rainshaft.

What’s this rainbow patch in the sky?

One EarthSky reader captured a photo of a rainbow patch hanging below a cloud, looking almost like a sheet of rain. What was it?

A rainbow-like background, with concentric circles indicating movement. The red side is stretched out; the blue side is squished up.

What do redshifts tell astronomers?

Redshifts reveal how an object is moving in space, showing otherwise-invisible planets and the movements of galaxies, and the beginnings of our universe.

Circumhorizon arc over a ridgeline, with the sun just out of view at the top of the image.

Not a rainbow, not an iridescent cloud

There are many colored arcs in the sky. This photographer captured one commonly seen in summer, when the sun is high in the sky.

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A red rainbow happens when the sun is low

Red rainbow over Bellingham, Washington

Red rainbow at sunset, over Estonia

Double red rainbow over New Mexico

Transparent insect wings actually rainbow-colored

Cloud shapes are a useful tool for predicting weather

Can you see a full circle rainbow? All you need to know

Have you seen a white rainbow? That’s a fogbow!

Rainbow-like glory on an exoplanet is 1st-ever detected

Iridescent contrails? Rainbow contrails? Something else?

Iridescent clouds have rainbow colors

Here’s why rainbows have a curved or arcing shape

Sunrays on Mars, captured by Curiosity

Climate change will produce more rainbows

Pluto terrain in rainbow colors

Predicting solar storms to protect Earth

Whales make rainbows

What’s this rainbow patch in the sky?

What do redshifts tell astronomers?

Not a rainbow, not an iridescent cloud