Why Some Rainbows Turn White
minutephysics
Oct 24, 2025 18:38
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If you wander outside on a misty morning you may come across a white rainbow - called a fogbow! White rainbows need three things to form: mist, the sun, and you. White rainbows are the same as regular rainbows, except they only form when the water drops in the air are super small. To find a white rainbow, go out when the Sun is low in the sky, like in the morning or evening. You want the Sun to be behind you so that a ~40 degree angle from the droplet to you and the sun is achievable. You'll need to be in a very thin fog, thin enough that the sun shines through but thick enough to reflect the sun's light back. Look away from the sun (the same way you do with a regular rainbow).
REFERENCES:
Mie theory, Airy theory, and the natural rainbow - https://opg.optica.org/ao/abstract.cfm?uri=AO-37-9-1506
Physically-based simulation of rainbows - https://dl.acm.org/doi/abs/10.1145/2077341.2077344
Veritasium video about rainbows: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24GfgNtnjXc
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