Rainbow Reflected from Water

Abstract

ON Monday last, August 6, at 7 P.M., I was standing at the end of Eastbourne Pier looking towards the sea. Behind me the sun was low on the horizon but shining brightly, overhead and out to sea rain was falling from somewhat broken masses of clouds. In front a brilliant rainbow formed a complete semicircle, the two ends apparently resting on the sea, and outside the principal bow the secondary arc was shining with considerable intensity. The sea was calm, but its surface was by no means glassy, being ruffled over with minute wavelets. Reflected from the surface of the sea, and extending in a broken curved line from the extremities of the rainbow nearly up to the pier, was a complete reproduction of the colours in the sky; the reflection, bearing in mind the ruffled surface of the water, being perfect. Not only were the colours of the primary bow reproduced, but a faint reflection of the secondary bow could be detected, whilst the dark space between the two bows, and the luminous haze which always extends for some distance from the concave edge of the primary bow, were distinctly reproduced.