What is a Double Rainbow? [PHOTOS]

Nature sure is wonderful, isn't it? Birds, trees, clouds, sky, stars, wind, waves, meadows, beaches, swamps, bayous, rainbows.

RAINBOWS

Wednesday, we had a decent line of clouds move through Acadiana and, with those clouds (as often times it happens) there were a few showers. Light showers.

HOW IS A RAINBOW MADE?

Science tells us that when the Sun is angled perfectly against water droplets, the refraction of the light through those particles produces a wonderful display of colors and Mr. Roy G. Biv pays a visit.

Several people around Acadiana noticed a bonus with this phenomenon on Wednesday: a double rainbow!

WHAT CREATES A DOUBLE RAINBOW?

What is a double rainbow? The Metro Office of the UK Government explains it this way on its website:

Double rainbows are formed when sunlight is reflected twice within a raindrop with the violet light that reaches the observer's eye coming from the higher raindrops and the red light from lower raindrops. - metoffice.gov.uk

What else did I learn by reading the information from this website? I learned that the rainbows involved in a double-rainbow situation are just like me and my boss: exact opposites!

WHICH IS WHICH?

If you want to know which rainbow is the "double" and which is the original, look for strength in the colors. Remember, imitations are usually cheaper! The double rainbow is just a little less bold, a little more "pastel" than the original rainbow.

PICTURES OF RAINBOWS

Now that we've learned something, let's enjoy YOUR pics of the rainbows from around Acadiana!

The first one comes from an old family friend, Father Louis. Father Louis J. Richard is the HPIC at St. Mary Magdalen in Abbeville, and he caught a great shot of the rainbow just beyond the church and rectory.

Melissa Luquette Broussard captured this shot which shows the contrast in strength between the "original" rainbow on the left and the "double" rainbow on the right. Notice how the colors are mirrored.

TV10 Meteorologist Chris Cozart posted a pic to his KLFY page that was taken by Bryce Istre of Lafayette.

Joel Domingue sent me a great pic of the double rainbow. I love that you can see the cow path in the pasture.

Matt Larriviere sent us a pic of the double rainbow over the shop. Notice how the sky is a little more foreboding in this shot.

Another view from Mouton Cove in Vermilion Parish. Amanda Faulk sent us this one - it looks as if was taken through a window. What a great sight to see!

Jason LeBlanc sent us this one from the road.

This photo was taken right outside the front door to our building on Bertrand Drive by our coworker Mary Galyean. The convenience store in the bottom right of the photo is the Chevron on the corner of Bertrand and Eraste Landry.

This last one might be my favorite of the day, though the bonus rainbow is very faint. It was taken at Lafayette Christian Academy