Moonbows: The Rare Weather Phenomenon Only Visible During Full Moons

We all know rainbows. Those colorful arcs that pop up after rain showers, perfect for social media photos and making everyone feel a bit magical for a moment. But there's another rainbow out there that's way more exclusive about its appearance schedule. We're talking about moonbows, also known as lunar rainbows, and they're basically rainbows that decide to work the night shift.

The Story Behind Nature's Night Light

Somewhere along the line, someone looked up at the night sky and spotted what looked like a ghost of a rainbow stretching across the darkness. They probably thought they were seeing things. But – it turns out the moon can pull off the same light-bending tricks as the sun, just with a lot more dramatic flair.

These ethereal arcs, officially known as lunar rainbows according to the American Meteorological Society (1), are actually pretty picky about when they show up. Picture a full moon playing hide and seek with water droplets in the air, but only under the most specific conditions possible. It's like trying to coordinate a group photo where everyone needs to blink at exactly the same time - theoretically possible, but good luck making it happen on demand.

Why Your Eyes Might Be Lying to You