You can't reach the end of the rainbow because a rainbow is kind of like an optical illusion. A rainbow is formed because raindrops act like little prisms. The raindrops split light up into bands of color. The colors you see in a rainbow come from millions of raindrops that are sitting at different angles in the sky. These raindrops split the sunlight into colors for your eyes to see.
When you move toward the rainbow, the angles change. So millions of different raindrops create the new rainbow with the new angles. In order for the angles to work out, the raindrops have to be a certain distance from your eyes. So no matter how you move, the rainbow will always be the same distance away from you. That's why you can never reach the end of the rainbow.
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FAQs
Light bounces out of the raindrops at an angle of 40° for red light, and 42° for blue. And that's true wherever you stand, so as you move, the rainbow moves too and you can never catch it.
Is it physically possible to see the end of a rainbow? ›
Is it physically possible to find the beginning or end of a rainbow? No. A rainbow is produced by a cone of falling drops 42 degrees from the direction opposite the Sun. The bow you see is formed by all the drops on the surface of the cone.
Why can the end of the rainbow never be seen? ›
Because rainbows are made in the sky, they don't touch the ground. So if you're on the ground, however far you walk, the end of the rainbow will always look as if it were on the edge of the horizon. But what people don't realise is that rainbows are actually complete circles, and obviously a circle has no end.
Can you ever actually reach the end of a rainbow? ›
Well, you can't. Before we look at the myth, we need to understand how rainbows actually form. As a rainbow is simply a form of optical illusion, as you move around where light is reflected by the rain the view also changes.
How rare is it to see the end of the rainbow? ›
That means that no matter how hard you try, you can never get close enough to a rainbow to see its “end.” But don't despair: Depending on how you look at it, it could also mean that there are an infinite number in the sky when the conditions are just right.
Why can't I get to the end of a rainbow? ›
A rainbow isn't a fixed object that hangs in the sky. It's an illusion formed between the sunshine, the rain and your eyes. Light bounces out of the raindrops at an angle of 40° for red light, and 42° for blue. And that's true wherever you stand, so as you move, the rainbow moves too and you can never catch it.
Has anyone ever stood in a rainbow? ›
At some point the condition is no longer fulfilled that you stand in the direction of caustic rays. So the rainbow will become fainter and fainter as you move and disappear. Standing inside a rainbow is not possible, because this geometric condition is not fulfilled.
Has anyone ever seen a full rainbow? ›
"That's why we see rainbows not as circles, but as arcs across our sky." Mountain climbers and pilots sometimes see near or full-circle rainbows, as the viewer must be above the observable horizon so that the bottom of the circle doesn't get blocked from view.
Why can't you touch a rainbow? ›
Rainbow is formed just because of dispersion of white light due to raindrops. Technically different colours are light waves of different wavelengths. Since we can not touch light, so we can not even touch a rainbow.
Can you walk under a rainbow? ›
The light has to pass through moisture in the air at the correct angle to split it into the different colors that make up a rainbow. This makes it impossible for someone to stand under a rainbow.
There is no such thing as a “rainbow's end point.” A rainbow is an optical illusion caused by water droplets when viewed from a certain angle relative to a light source.
How rare is a double rainbow? ›
Surprisingly, this phenomenon is actually relatively common, especially at times when the sun is low in the sky such as in the early morning or late afternoon. The second rainbow is fainter and more 'pastel' in tone than the primary rainbow because more light escapes from two reflections compared to one.
Is there actually gold at the end of a rainbow? ›
The Encyclopedia Britannica explains that as far back as the 17th century the Irish would say a person “was as likely to find a pot of gold as to find the end of a rainbow.” A colorful rainbow appears in the sky when the sun shines through water droplets. Keep in mind that there is no real “end” to a rainbow.
Is it lucky to see the end of a rainbow? ›
Rainbows are a sign of good luck.
Perhaps you're familiar with tales of leprechauns guarding their pots of gold at the end of a rainbow. Many believe that rainbows are symbols of good fortune because of these legends, so make a wish when you see one!
Can you physically touch a rainbow? ›
Rainbow is formed just because of dispersion of white light due to raindrops. Technically different colours are light waves of different wavelengths. Since we can not touch light, so we can not even touch a rainbow.
Do ends of rainbows exist? ›
No. A rainbow is a visual phenomenon. Anyway, sometimes you can see it is in fact a circular rather than a semi-circular image.
Can you reach the foot of a rainbow? ›
No. That's only in fiction. The rainbow is just an optical effect of light, like a curved prism, formed by spherical water droplets.
