Midnight Rainbows
MIDNIGHT RAINBOW: It could only happen around the summer solstice. "I recently witnessed a 'midnight rainbow,'" reports M-P Markkanen of Kuusamo, Finland. "It towered high in the sky and lasted from 10 pm until 3am local time on June 12th." He captured the moment using a Nikon D80:
A rainbow at midnight. How can this be? Simple. Kuusamo is on the verge of the Arctic Circle, and at this time of year the sun never completely sets. Hanging low in the midnight sky, it shines up on distant rainclouds, creating a remarkably tall rainbow. "I guess you couldn't see a rainbow much taller than that," says Markkanen. "It was a clear sign of the coming solstice!"
So who here from Finland had a chance to see this amazing sight?
A rainbow at midnight. How can this be? Simple. Kuusamo is on the verge of the Arctic Circle, and at this time of year the sun never completely sets. Hanging low in the midnight sky, it shines up on distant rainclouds, creating a remarkably tall rainbow. "I guess you couldn't see a rainbow much taller than that," says Markkanen. "It was a clear sign of the coming solstice!"
So who here from Finland had a chance to see this amazing sight?
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Dec 20, 2011. 1:13 PMronhammond
says:
I have seen this phenomon once in my life...in northern Ohio in mid-winter 1961.
I have talked with meteorologists on the web. We think it was a jet stream left by SAC jets going north toward the pole and the full moon just over the western horizon shining on the moisture trail.
It looked just like your photo, except there was no light on the ground.
Ron
I have talked with meteorologists on the web. We think it was a jet stream left by SAC jets going north toward the pole and the full moon just over the western horizon shining on the moisture trail.
It looked just like your photo, except there was no light on the ground.
Ron
Jun 22, 2010. 6:21 PMJohnJY (author)
says:
I had thought so. It was rather interesting, and only happens once a year.
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