Pink Rainbow Over Corio Bay, Australia

September 21, 2012

PinkRainbowOverCorioBay7 31 11- 11

Photographer
: Phil Thomson 
Summary Authors: Phil Thomson; Jim Foster

Rainbows exhibit the colors we're all familiar with when they're not at their highest position in the sky. As the Sun sets, rainbows arch higher and higher without much of change in color. However, once the Sun dips below the horizon, the increased path length of sunlight alters a rainbow's appearance -- see yesterday's Earth Science Picture of the Day. Suddenly, the pure greens and blues are missing and, if conditions are right, just a monochromatic strip is all that can be seen. Such conditions existed on the evening of July 30, 2011 over Corio Bay, Australia where this nearly vertical pink bow was captured suspended high in the sky following a rainstorm late in the day.

Photo Details: Camera: PENTAX K-5; Focal Length: 55.0mm (35mm equivalent: 82mm); Aperture: f/22.0; Exposure Time: 10.000 s; ISO equiv: 100; Software: ACDSee Pro 5.

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