Late Day Bow Near San Jose

December 08, 2007

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Provided and copyright by: David Hildebrand
Summary authors & editors: David Hildebrand, Jim Foster

The jaunty rainbow remnant shown above appeared in the eastern sky, near San Jose, California, just at sunset on July 23, 2007. It appears to be spearing Mt. Isabel, which is a little south of Mt. Hamilton. (One of the observatories of Mt. Hamilton can be seen at the extreme left.) It might even be confused with a colorful twister. At sunset or sunrise, rainbows attain their highest elevation above the horizon (approximately 43 degrees), as can be attested by this high arching fragment of the primary rainbow.