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| Rainbows & Antisolar Rays Image by J�rg Alean (Swisseduc.ch, Stromboli online) over the Rhine at Eglisau, Switzerland. ©J�rg Alean, shown with permission |
| A bright primary rainbow bridges the Rhine with fragments of an outer reverse colour secondary bow. The sky is dark between the bows - Alexanders dark band. Dramatic antisolar rays and shadows converge down towards the rainbow centre, the antisolar point. At left the shadows form rainbow spokes. |
Raindrops near the surface of the 'rainbow cone' form the primary bow's outer coloured rim. The cone axis extends from the eye towards the antisolar point. |
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| rainbow spoke |
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Long parallel shadows cast by clouds with bright sky between them generate the antisolar (anticrepuscular) rays and shadows. Their apparent convergence is purely due to perspective. |
| Sometimes a cloud shadow intersects the rainbow cone. Raindrops within the shadow cannot contribute to the rainbow. Part of the bow is blotted out and a dark 'spoke' can extend inwards towards the bow centre. Several clouds and spokes make a wheel which often revolves as the clouds move. |
