Quote:
Originally Posted by This'nThat
Unlike lightening, I guess rainbows do strike at the same place, over and over again. Here are the two snapshots, one year apart -- stiking the same place, at exactly the same time of the day (well, within 2 seconds that is).
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That the rainbows appear in exactly the same spot relative to the camera is a function of the fact that they happened on very similar dates and times, only 1 year apart. Since they did happen so nearly on the same day of the year and same time, the sun would be in nearly exactly the same spot as the clouds to the west, behind the camera position, parted. Then, since the camera position was the same as well, given a curtain of water droplets located within the camera's field of view, all the geometry would line up just as it did last year, which would place this year's rainbow in the same spot. Amazing but true, both rainbows appear to touch the horizon in the same location, though maybe the 2009 rainbow comes down a bit in front of the island rather than appearing to drop behind it. This probably means that there were a bit more water droplets still in the air right over Weirs Bay than was the case for the more recent rainbow this weekend.
It's kind of like the special lighting effects that happen but once a year at ancient calendar, sun-dial/obelisk places like Stonehenge. Very cool, all in all.