What is a Rainbow, really?

It’s not just light and color — it’s a full-on optical illusion… custom-made for your eyes!

I absolutely love seeing rainbows, and I am sure that a lot of you can resonate with that feeling as well.

You’ve seen them in the sky, on oil slicks and glistening beautifully in waterfalls. Rainbows are one of the most beautiful and familiar wonders of nature.

But here’s the twist: A rainbow isn’t really “out there” in space. It’s happening in your eyes and your brain.

Cool hey, so let’s break down what a rainbow really is — and why no two people ever see the exact same one.

🌦️ A Rainbow Is Not a Thing — It’s an Effect

A rainbow is not an object you can touch.

It’s not located at a specific place in the sky.

It’s not even a “thing” in the usual sense.

It’s an optical phenomenon — created when:

1. Sunlight hits raindrops

2. The light bends (refraction)

3. Then bounces inside (internal reflection)

4. And exits again, bent into a spectrum of colors

   
   

That spectrum is what we see as a rainbow — but here’s the real rainbow genius:

☀️ The sun has to be behind you.

🌧️ The rain has to be in front of you.

👁️ And the exact angle matters — 42° from your line of sight.

👀 The Personal Rainbow

Because rainbows depend on your unique viewing angle, you’re the only one seeing “your” rainbow.

I love that..my own personal rainbows!

The person next to you sees a different rainbow, made from different raindrops, reflecting light at a slightly different angle.

No two people — not even standing shoulder to shoulder — are seeing the exact same rainbow.

It’s a personal illusion shaped by where you stand, how you look, and when.

🔄 Why It’s Always a Curve

Rainbows always form a circle — or at least part of one.

We usually just see the top arc because the ground blocks the rest. But from a plane or mountaintop🌈 you can sometimes see a full circle rainbow.

And yes — it’s breathtaking!

🎨 Why You Can’t Ever Reach It

Many people won't want to know this, but sadly there’s no “pot of gold” at the end… because there’s no end.

Try to walk toward it, and it moves with you. Because the rainbow isn’t in the distance — it’s in your angle of perception.

It’s not out there. It’s inside the geometry between your eye, the sun and the raindrops.

🧠 To wrap it up...

Rainbows remind us that:

• Perception is personal

• Reality is shaped by your perspective

• Some of nature’s most magical moments are illusions we co-create

  
  

So next time you see a rainbow…

Don’t chase it.

Just know: it was made especially for you.