A double rainbow spread across the sky over Laney Cheese in Pulaski the evening of Oct. 21. A double rainbow is caused by sunlight reflecting twice inside a raindrop. The first reflection creates the primary rainbow, while the second reflection results in a fainter, secondary rainbow with its colors reversed. This secondary bow is located above the primary bow.
A rainbow is caused by sunlight reflecting and refracting through water droplets, such as raindrops or mist. This process, called dispersion, bends the white sunlight and separates it into its component colors (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet). The light is reflected internally within the droplet and then exits, creating the colorful arc seen when positioned with the sun behind us and the water in front.
