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 November 27
    [2]The featured image shows many parallel rainbow bands over a house
    with trees. Please see the explanation for more detailed information.

                   Supernumerary Rainbows over New Jersey
                 Image Credit & Copyright: [3]John Entwistle

   Explanation: Yes, but can your rainbow do this? After the remnants of
   [4]Hurricane Florence passed over the Jersey Shore, [5]New Jersey,
   [6]USA in 2018, [7]the Sun came out in one direction but something
   quite unusual appeared in the opposite direction: a [8]hall of
   [9]rainbows. Over the course of a next half hour, to the delight of the
   photographer and his daughter, vibrant [10]supernumerary rainbows faded
   in and out, with at least [11]five captured in [12]this featured single
   shot. [13]Supernumerary rainbows only form when falling [14]water
   droplets are all nearly the same size and typically less than a
   millimeter across. Then, sunlight will [15]not only reflect from inside
   the raindrops, but [16]interfere, a wave phenomenon similar to
   [17]ripples on a pond when a stone is thrown in. In fact,
   [18]supernumerary rainbows can only be explained with waves, and their
   noted existence in the early 1800s was considered early evidence of
   [19]light's wave nature.

   Your Sky Surprise: [20]What picture did APOD feature on your birthday?
                                 (post 1995)
                       Tomorrow's picture: open space
     __________________________________________________________________

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    Authors & editors: [32]Robert Nemiroff ([33]MTU) & [34]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([35]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Phillip Newman [36]Specific rights apply.
              [37]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices
                A service of: [38]ASD at [39]NASA / [40]GSFC,
                         [41]NASA Science Activation
                           & [42]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2211/SupernumeraryRainbows_Entwistle_1362.jpg
   3. https://www.instagram.com/johnentwistle_photography/
   4. https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/hurricane-florence
   5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Jersey
   6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States
   7. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/solar-system/sun/in-depth/
   8. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap100504.html
   9. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap100807.html
  10. https://www.atoptics.co.uk/rainbows/supers.htm
  11. https://i.pinimg.com/originals/b3/70/3f/b3703f3c9b83bf4ffa1f75294695795a.jpg
  12. https://www.instagram.com/p/CileTCJAGA4/
  13. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainbow#Supernumerary
  14. https://www.atoptics.co.uk/rainbows/supdrsz.htm
  15. https://www.atoptics.co.uk/rainbows/supform.htm
  16. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wave_interference
  17. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9QwiBFN9gI
  18. https://www.atoptics.co.uk/fza82.htm
  19. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRBfpBPELmE
  20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap221126.html
  22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  25. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss
  28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  29. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  30. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=221127
  31. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap221128.html
  32. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  33. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  34. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  35. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  36. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  37. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  38. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  39. https://www.nasa.gov/
  40. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  41. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  42. http://www.mtu.edu/