Why Some Rainbows Turn White

Опубликовано 24 октября 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 - opg.optica.org/ao/abstract.cfm...
Physically-based simulation of rainbows - dl.acm.org/doi/abs/10.1145/207...
Veritasium video about rainbows: youtube.com/watch?v=24GfgNtnjX...

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Minute Physics provides an energetic and entertaining view of old and new problems in physics -- all in a minute!

Created by Henry Reich
Produced by Joshua Chawner

00:00 Opera Sponsorship
00:03 Fogbow Introduction
00:31 Rainbow Recap
01:07 Raindrop Reflected Waves
02:08 Large Droplet Rainbow
02:18 Small Droplet Supernumerary Bows
02:45 Tiny Droplet Fogbow
03:02 Conclusion
03:10 Lee Diagrams
03:28 Opera Sponsorship