Rainbows

The pictures don't really do this justice and the colors had already started to fade by time I grabbed the camera and started shooting pictures - had to have been one of the most colorful and intense rainbows I've ever seen. BTW, these were taken at 7:26PM ... 37 minutes before sunset. Scroll down for more pictures and Dirk's 2nd grade science project from the year before ... on rainbows! BTW, check out these crazy cloud formations!

Six 28mm images stitched together capture the full double rainbows

rainbows

Pot-o-Gold at the end of the rainbow

rainbows chimney

Two Pots-o-Gold just beyond the neighbors house!

rainbows tree



Dirk, my 7-year old son, did a science experiment for the 2nd grade. He came up with the idea which was "How do Rainbows Form" which I thought would be a good one. However, about halfway into the research part of the project, I realize that the phyics/optics behind a rainbow involve refraction, dispersion, and reflection ... plus requires geometry & trigonometry to analyze - i.e. a bit advanced for 2nd grade. Regardless, we plugged ahead.

Dirk's original rainbow research notes

rainbows hypothesis


So we then did some research on the Internet and (no surprise), found some great resources, including a dandy one from NCAR which is right in our backyard. We read up on rainbows, and while you can't buy any on eBay, we found some rainbow images using Google - two are shown here. I also Photoshopp'ed in a picture of an Internet Celeb on the top picture - can you guess who is the "Bald Eagle?"

Cows hanging out by a rainbow

rainbows

Rainbow from an airplane - yes, it's a circle

airplane rainbows

Dirk finishing his rainbow presentation

rainbow dirk

A Prism bends light causing a distorted view

rainbow prism

Dirk practices his talk about rainbows

rainbow presentation
Dirk and I went to his Elementary School the Thursday before Halloween to the evening open-house for parents. I watched him do a GREAT job presenting to various people that stopped by. While I didn't make it on Friday to the "real" science fair, he came back glowing and he can't wait until next year to do it again. So I'd call that a big success! ;-)

Manmade "rainbow" as a red-eye flys under the Big Dipper across the Midnight Sky on a Colorado Campout

night campout