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Each rain droplet reflects all colors at a given point and time, but only one color comes back to your eye, requiring million of rain droplets to create a rainbow.  As the rain droplets fall through the sky, the colors of the spectrum being reflected and refracted are constantly changing.

The perfect time and place to look for a rainbow you need bright sunlight to your back and rain clouds off in the distance in the direction of your shadow. If it is later than 4:30 in the afternoon or earlier than 8:30 in the morning at these condition there is a very good chance you will be able to see a rainbow in the sky.  Other places you may see rainbows formed are fountains, in the ocean as the waves crash against the rock which create a mist in the air, waterfalls, sprinklers and mist from a garden hose. Always remember to have the sun at your back to see a rainbow, happy rainbow hunting!!!!!!

Rainbows form a complete circle, however only half is visible.  The horizon only  Picture from the web site of the Department of Physics and Astronomy, Arizona State University                                                             allows us to see half of the rainbow circle, so we see just an arc.  What causes the rainbow to have a circular formation is the way that rain droplets fall.  The rain droplets do not fall is flat sheet, however they tend to fall at various distances and speeds.  On some occasions you can see a full circle around a garden hose.

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