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Research and Reference => Science In the News => Topic started by: Gary on November 05, 2009, 10:37:53 AM

Title: Rainbow in the Night Sky
Post by: Gary on November 05, 2009, 10:37:53 AM
Found this, it's pretty cool.

A ghostly image captured on camera by a photographer in North Yorkshire shows a night-time rainbow created by the light of the moon.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/6494396/Rainbow-in-the-night-sky.html

(http://i.telegraph.co.uk/telegraph/multimedia/archive/01515/Rainbow_1515619c.jpg)
Title: Re: Rainbow in the Night Sky
Post by: PPI Tracy on November 05, 2009, 10:43:19 AM
Wow.  My God, that is beautiful.
Title: Re: Rainbow in the Night Sky
Post by: PPI Karl on November 05, 2009, 10:52:01 AM
Stunning.  Is this what people call a "moon-dog," or am I thinking of something else?
Title: Re: Rainbow in the Night Sky
Post by: PPI Tracy on November 05, 2009, 11:11:16 AM
Quote from: PPI Karl on November 05, 2009, 10:52:01 AM
Stunning.  Is this what people call a "moon-dog," or am I thinking of something else?

I thought that was a "Moon-Pie"?  Sorry....bad joke.  I'm just hungry.

So, before Karl hurts me baaaaad........is it called a "Moon-Dog"?
Title: Re: Rainbow in the Night Sky
Post by: Gary on November 05, 2009, 11:56:06 AM
Moon dog
From Wikipedia

A moon dog or moondog (scientific name paraselene, plural paraselenae, i.e. "beside the moon") is a relatively rare bright circular spot on a lunar halo caused by the refraction of moonlight by hexagonal-plate-shaped ice crystals in cirrus or cirrostratus clouds. Moondogs appear to the left and right of the moon 22? or more distant. They are exactly analogous to sun dogs, but are rarer because to be produced the moon must be bright and therefore full or nearly full. Moondogs show little color to the unaided eye because their light is not bright enough to activate the color photoreceptors in humans.

Title: Re: Rainbow in the Night Sky
Post by: PPI Brian on November 05, 2009, 02:29:25 PM
Ah yes, a moonbow.  :)

I have tried to capture them on camera but I have never been successful. They are beautiful, aren't they?
Title: Re: Rainbow in the Night Sky
Post by: PPI Tracy on November 05, 2009, 02:40:20 PM
Moonbow!  I like that!   :D

Yes, it is quite beautiful and I have never seen anything like it.
Title: Re: Rainbow in the Night Sky
Post by: PPI Tim on November 05, 2009, 04:36:40 PM
That is a night time rainbow. It is not a moonbow. I have seen a moonbow. It is white in color and has no other color.
This picture has color in the bow
I would have loved to have seen that. I believe those are quite rare.
I love things like this.
I'am a weather nut. :)
Title: Re: Rainbow in the Night Sky
Post by: PPI Brian on November 05, 2009, 04:39:07 PM
It's a long exposure photograph -- that's why it picked up color that the eye cannot percieve, like pictures of nebula in outer space. A moonbow is a night time rainbow. Some are brighter than others, but all are cause by light refracting from a bright moon rather than the sun.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moonbow

(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6d/LunarRainbowVicFalls_small.jpg)
Title: Re: Rainbow in the Night Sky
Post by: PPI Tim on November 05, 2009, 07:12:56 PM
The one I saw, with my own eyes, in Yosemite was at night with no fog and it had no color but white. It was awesome. The only rainbow colors I have ever seen at night were around the moon. I guess if you have a camera taking a long exposure you would get more color. I would still like to see a full color rainbow at night.
Title: Re: Rainbow in the Night Sky
Post by: Shellshock on November 06, 2009, 05:47:00 PM
So Pretty!