Key points
- Ukrainian polar researchers in Antarctica have recorded a white rainbow.
- This rare phenomenon occurs when sunlight passes through very fine droplets of fog.
- Unlike a classic rainbow, the colours blend due to strong light scattering, making the arc appear almost white.
- A white rainbow is also known as a fogbow, as it forms when sunlight illuminates light fog.
Ukrainian polar researchers at the Akademik Vernadsky station in Antarctica have recorded a rare atmospheric phenomenon – a white rainbow. It forms when sunlight passes through very fine droplets of fog.
Unlike a classic rainbow, where colours are clearly separated, here they blend due to strong light scattering, making the arc appear almost white. Only faint shades can sometimes be seen along the edges – from soft orange to violet.
In larger droplets, sunlight splits into the colours of the spectrum, and each beam travels separately, creating a bright rainbow. When the droplets are very small, the beams mix and the colours lose their intensity.
A white rainbow is also known as a fogbow, as it appears when sunlight illuminates light fog.
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