Rainbows have captured human imagination for centuries—symbols of hope, mystery, and magic. But behind their beauty lies a simple play of light, water, and perspective. Understanding the science of natural phenomena like rainbows can deepen our wonder and appreciation for the world around us.
A rainbow forms when sunlight passes through raindrops in the atmosphere. The light is refracted, or bent, as it enters the drop, then reflected off the inside surface, and refracted again as it exits. This process splits the light into its component colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. The result is a stunning arc of color, visible only at the right angle between the sun, the raindrops, and your eyes.
Other natural wonders follow similar principles. Halos around the sun or moon occur when ice crystals in high clouds refract light. The green flash at sunset is caused by light bending through layers of the atmosphere. Even the shimmering northern lights—aurora borealis—result from charged particles from the sun interacting with Earth’s magnetic field.
Nature is full of these spectacles. Knowing the science doesn’t make them less magical—it enhances their wonder. It tells us that the world we live in is not just beautiful, but intricately ordered, governed by laws that can turn the ordinary into the extraordinary.