I was wondering would it be possible to have more than one rainbow

[Howlin]

I was wondering would it be possible to have more than one rainbow within the same area so another - that two rainbows are over lapping?

 

[Vanadium 50]

How many light sources do you have?

 

[tiny-tim]

Hi Howlin!

Not if there's only one sun.

The rainbow is an arc of a circle whose centre is always directly opposite the sun (ie, on the straight line from the sun through your head), and whose radius (as an angle) is fixed.

For a particular position of the sun, there is only one place the rainbow can be.

If there were two "suns", one being the reflection in the sea or a lake, then i suppose you could have overlapping rainbows.

 

[Howlin]

there would be only one light source the sun
if you have one sun but say the direct rays from the sun causes one rainbow but the indrect rays from the sun eg off a shiny object causes another rainbow
would that be possible?

 

[tiny-tim]

yes

the centre of the second rainbow would be the image of the sun behind the shiny surface

(but the shiny surface would need to be large, or the rainbow would be far too dim to see, and it would need to be flat, or smooth and curved so as to form a reasonably good image)

 

[Howlin]

and then would it be possible if you have enough flat shiny surfaces could you get enough rainbows to over lap so that you would have one colour from each rainbow on top of each other and cause it to become white?

 

[DaveC426913]

and then would it be possible if you have enough flat shiny surfaces could you get enough rainbows to over lap so that you would have one colour from each rainbow on top of each other and cause it to become white?

I can't think of any reason why it would not work but it would be a heckuva feat.

You'd need a production-scale mister, and several large reflectors.

 

[tiny-tim]

and then would it be possible if you have enough flat shiny surfaces could you get enough rainbows to over lap so that you would have one colour from each rainbow on top of each other and cause it to become white?

You mean white in the middle, with red and blue on the edges?

Well, each rainbow has exactly the same size, so you could only get them to match (roughly) over a very short distance. And you'd need to get the brightnesses exactly matching.

 

[DaveC426913]

BTW, they won't overlap but you do know that the sun can cast double rainbows, right?

http://www.google.ca/search?q=doubl...&source=og&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wi&biw=1345&bih=569

 

[Howlin]

i no they can have double rainbows
so your saying you wouldn't be able to over lap them to create white light them while they are rainbows?

 

[Bobbywhy]

Yes, there are several different mechanisms which result in more than one rainbow. See:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainbow#Supernumerary_rainbow

 

[DaveC426913]

i no they can have double rainbows
so your saying you wouldn't be able to over lap them to create white light them while they are rainbows?

I am simply saying that (standard) double rainbows are concentric, and thus will not overlap.

 

[Disconnected]

Not if there's only one sun.

 

[Drakkith]

Look up Double Rainbow on youtube. You'll get a kick out of it lol. Its great.

 

[DaveC426913]

Look up Double Rainbow on youtube. You'll get a kick out of it lol. Its great.

Oh Gawd no. Not Double Rainbow Guy.

 

[Drakkith]

Oh Gawd no. Not Double Rainbow Guy.

Muahahah!