The geometry of rainbows is determined by reflection and refraction within
spherical water droplets. This is explained in many optics and related books.
See The Nature of Light and Colour in the Open Air
by Marcel Gilles Jozef Minnaert (Paperback - December 1948)
For a Web simulation, geometry and optical ray tracing see
http://webphysics.ph.msstate.edu/jc/library/24-8b/
Gordon
At 09:50 AM 1/11/01 -0500, you wrote:
Hello All,
What a fascinating observation on the practical aspects of a
rainbow...thanks for the commentary John. I have always been interested
in rainbows, ever since my third grade teacher took the whole class out
trudging through the fields after a rainstorm, looking for the pot at the
end of the rainbow. We never found it...maybe the rainbow was the pot
that day.
Does anyone know the determining factor for the radius of a rainbow?
Jim Tallman
Sr. Designer
FX Studios
Gordon Uber [EMAIL PROTECTED] San Diego, California USA
Webmaster: Clocks and Time: http://www.ubr.com/clocks
