Rainbows

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“The soul would have no rainbow, had the eyes no tears.”
John Vance Cheney (1848 – 1922)

Rainbows

Rainbows. Those colourful arcs we seek when the Sun shows after rainfall. Like the stars, there is something unifying about the sight of a rainbow. Perhaps it’s the reminder of the beauty of nature. And the balance. After the rain, there is growth. And possibly a rainbow.

When I spot a rainbow, I point it out to our son. In some cultures, such action is considered unlucky, or disrespectful. The rainbow is seen as a celestial being, or the creation of such a being. Pointing at them, or their creation, is at the very least bad manners. At most, very bad luck.

Shapes and Colours

While only the arc of the rainbow is usually visible, they are actually full circles. What we see is the section of the rainbow above our horizon. If your vantage point means you can see below the horizon, such as when travelling by air, you may behold a complete rainbow.

I took this photograph from the window of an aircraft. The complete circle is visible, as well as a fainter circle around it.

The circular nature of rainbows explains why treasure seekers are ultimately frustrated in their search for the leprechauns’ gold at the end of the rainbow. There is no end!

The colours of a rainbow are an illusion created by sunlight passing through water droplets in the air. In the same way, rainbow colours might appear in the water of a fountain. Anyone viewing a rainbow has a unique perspective. The form of the arc is dependent upon the horizon. Even standing shoulder to shoulder, nobody will ever see exactly the same horizon. So each person sees a different rainbow.

I will never tire of seeing rainbows. Neither will I stop pointing them out to our son. Nature’s creations long written into myth and legend, the sight of a rainbow can lift a weary heart. Every time I see people pause to look to the sky, point to the colours I feel the connection. Funny how something which isn’t actually there can bring such hope and togetherness.

Find out more about rainbows on the National Geographic website.

“Somewhere over the rainbow
Way up high
There’s a land that I heard of,
Once in a lullaby.
Somewhere over the rainbow,
Skies are blue
And the dreams that you dare to dream
Really do come true.”
(Arlen and Harburg, 1939)