What Causes ‘Rainbow’ Colors in the Sky After Rain?

Rainbows are made by rain and sunlight. When it rains, tiny water droplets fall from the sky. Sunlight goes through these droplets, and magic happens, the light bends inside each drop, splitting into colors like a rainbow. Each color takes a slightly different path out of the drop, so you see them as an arc in the sky.

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Examples

A rainbow appears after a summer storm because sunlight hits the raindrops and creates colors in the sky.
If you're playing outside during the day and it starts to rain, you might see a rainbow arching across the sky like a painted smile.
When your mom waters the garden on a sunny afternoon, you might notice a small rainbow over the sprinkler.

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Categories: Environment · rainbow,light,refraction,weather