Astronomy Picture of the Day

   [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                              2022 December 27
   [2]The featured image shows two complete circular rainbows centered on
     a mountainous island. Please see the explanation for more detailed
                                information.

                      A Full Circle Rainbow over Norway
                  Image Credit & Copyright: [3]Lukas Moesch

   Explanation: Have you ever seen an entire rainbow? From the ground,
   typically, only the top portion of a rainbow is [4]visible because
   directions toward the ground have fewer raindrops. From the air,
   though, the entire 360-degree circle of a [5]rainbow is more commonly
   visible. Pictured here, a full-circle rainbow was captured over the
   [6]Lofoten Islands of [7]Norway in September by a drone passing through
   a rain shower. An observer-dependent [8]phenomenon primarily caused by
   the [9]internal reflection of sunlight by raindrops, the [10]rainbow
   has a full [11]diameter of 84 degrees. The [12]Sun is in the exact
   [13]opposite direction from the rainbow's center. As a [14]bonus, a
   [15]second rainbow that was more faint and color-reversed was visible
   outside the first.

                       Tomorrow's picture: open space
     __________________________________________________________________

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    Authors & editors: [27]Robert Nemiroff ([28]MTU) & [29]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([30]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Phillip Newman [31]Specific rights apply.
              [32]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices
                A service of: [33]ASD at [34]NASA / [35]GSFC,
                         [36]NASA Science Activation
                           & [37]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2212/FullCircleRainbow_Moesch_4500.jpg
   3. https://www.lukas-moesch.ch/about
   4. http://www.slate.com/blogs/bad_astronomy/2014/09/17/circular_rainbow_rare_optic_effect_seen_from_the_air.html
   5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainbow
   6. https://youtu.be/mg67iIFivDo
   7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norway
   8. https://scijinks.gov/rainbow/
   9. https://www.atoptics.co.uk/rainbows/orders.htm
  10. https://www.atoptics.co.uk/bows.htm
  11. https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/24x910/what_is_the_diameter_of_a_rainbow/
  12. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/solar-system/sun/overview/
  13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap190624.html
  14. https://hiawasseevet.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/smiling-cat-for-web.jpg
  15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap070912.html
  16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap221226.html
  17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  20. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss
  23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  25. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=221227
  26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap221228.html
  27. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  28. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  29. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  30. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  31. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  32. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  33. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  34. https://www.nasa.gov/
  35. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  36. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  37. http://www.mtu.edu/