Jeff co-founded the Weather Underground in 1995 while working on his Ph.D. He flew with the NOAA Hurricane Hunters from 1986-1990.
By: Dr. Jeff Masters , 8:18 PM GMT on April 14, 2005
Most people don't realize it, but a rainbow is actually a full circle. You usually can't see the full circle, since half of the rainbow lies beneath the horizon, where it is not raining. After all, there is no weather underground. However, if one is in an airplane or overlooking a waterfall, the 360-degree rainbow can be seen. I know--I have seen them twice from research airplanes that were flying through rain showers. Check out the 360-degree rainbow image at the bottom. Note that there is a separate optical phenomena, called a glory (caused by diffraction), surrounding the shadow of the airplane. Unfortunately, I only had a 23mm wide angle lens, and could not capture the entire 360-degree rainbow. To my knowledge, no one has captured a photograph of a full NATURAL 360-degree rainbow. You can easily photograph one using a sprinkler, as this photographer has done here.
I challenge all you wunderphotographers to capture a 360-degree rainbow image in rain or waterfall mist. First photographer to post such a natural 360-degree rainbow image wins a free 2-year wunderground.com membership!
Update: In 2013, a photographer on a helicopter in Australia captured a beautiful picture of a 360-degree rainbow, posted at NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day website.
Jeff Masters
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Printing Services
43. leonrosk
6:20 PM GMT on September 12, 2013It was in the form of a slanted disc with the bottom of the disc at my feet and the top above the horizon (seemingly a long way away).
I realised that the angle of the disc was in a line with the sun behind me passing through my head to the illusion in front of me.
Since that time I know that I have to look for the rainbow with the sun behind me, and that latitude, and the height of the sun above the horizon, determines how high the top of the rainbow appears to be in the sky.
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10:43 PM GMT on February 14, 2013Max is here
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6:30 PM GMT on November 23, 2012wxchaser97 was and is here...
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7:55 PM GMT on September 14, 2012MTWX was here...
32. TomTaylor
7:13 AM GMT on September 01, 201231. MAweatherboy1
1:46 AM GMT on August 11, 201230. TropicalAnalystwx13
1:20 AM GMT on August 11, 2012Yeah...you've got that right, LMAO.
29. TomTaylor
7:29 AM GMT on July 16, 201228. WxGeekVA
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8:48 PM GMT on October 22, 200824. KEEPEROFTHEGATE (Mod)
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5:56 PM GMT on August 01, 2006Too cool.
22. turtlehurricane
4:55 AM GMT on July 02, 200621. Alec
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4:33 AM GMT on June 22, 200617. shaviator
1:46 PM GMT on April 25, 200516. Groundrush
4:30 PM GMT on April 23, 200515. Lemurian
8:09 PM PDT on April 22, 200514. BIGJOHNBOY
11:10 PM GMT on April 22, 200513. stuckindeleware
12:40 PM GMT on April 22, 200512. Aaron Cowdin , Lead Developer (Admin)
4:57 PM PDT on April 21, 20059. phoebe5555
10:24 PM GMT on April 21, 2005This is the URL.
http://www.wunderground.com/wximage/viewsingleimage.html?mode=singleimage&handle=Relian&number=0&album_id=4&thumbstart=&gallery=#slideanchor
8. WMMcLaughlin
8:59 PM GMT on April 21, 2005But, courtesy of Uncle Sam's Great Grey Ocean Liners, I have also seen the Green Flash of the Tropics and The Corposant once each. Was watching for the Green Flash, but the Corposant was a surprise, and a year and an ocean before seeing the Green Flash.
7. Dr. Jeff Masters , Director of Meteorology (Admin)
2:49 PM EDT on April 21, 20054. ruffair
3:39 PM GMT on April 21, 2005Kem
3. geckotoes
10:49 AM GMT on April 21, 20052. rmh9903
5:33 AM GMT on April 21, 2005