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Rainbow light in the mist, Sweden

Posted by in Today's Image | July 21, 2016

What appears to be a corona, possibly caused by water droplets in a mist – or even by pollen – as the sun rises over Sweden.

Photo taken July 20,2016 by Birget Boden.

Photo taken July 20, 2016 by Birgit Bodén.

EarthSky Facebook friend Birgit Bodén wrote from Sweden:

The rainbow color in the mist from the rising sun early this morning…. north of Vittjärv in northern Sweden …

Thank you, Birget!

Notice Birget specifically say this is a “rainbow,” just rainbow colors. It’s not a true rainbow because rainbows are always seen opposite the sun. We asked Les Cowley of the great website Atmospheric Optics how to describe this rainbow-like light. He said:

It’s possibly a corona caused by diffraction by nearby mist droplets.

It might even by produced by pollen (if pollen is still in season in Sweden).

Thank you, Birget, and thank you, Les!

Gallery of photos of rainbows around the world.

Deborah Byrd

Deborah Byrd

Deborah Byrd created the EarthSky radio series in 1991 and founded EarthSky.org in 1994. Today, she serves as Editor-in-Chief of this website. She has won a galaxy of awards from the broadcasting and science communities, including having an asteroid named 3505 Byrd in her honor. A science communicator and educator since 1976, Byrd believes in science as a force for good in the world and a vital tool for the 21st century. "Being an EarthSky editor is like hosting a big global party for cool nature-lovers," she says.

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