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6 Types of Rainbows: Double Rainbows, Moonbows, Fire Rainbows & More

Tap a rainbow type to see how it forms.

Primary Rainbow

The most common rainbow, formed when sunlight refracts and reflects once inside raindrops, appearing in the order red-orange-yellow-green-blue-indigo-violet from the outside in.

Double Rainbow

When light reflects twice inside the raindrops, a second, fainter rainbow appears outside the first one, with its color order reversed.

Fire Rainbow (Circumhorizontal Arc)

Not actually a rainbow at all β€” a colorful band of light created when sunlight refracts through ice crystals in high-altitude cirrus clouds.

Moonbow

A rainbow formed when bright moonlight, instead of sunlight, refracts through raindrops β€” the light is faint, so it usually appears close to black-and-white to the naked eye.

Fogbow

A rainbow formed by tiny water droplets in fog β€” because the droplets are so small, the colors are indistinct and it appears mostly white.

Full-Circle Rainbow

From the ground, the horizon blocks the lower half, so only a semicircle is visible β€” but from an airplane or a high mountain, looking away from the sun, a complete circular rainbow can be seen.

A rainbow is a joint creation of light and water

Every rainbow ultimately comes from light refracting and reflecting inside water droplets. The size of the droplets, the angle of the light, and the light source (sun or moon) all combine to produce the many fascinating rainbow phenomena we see.

Why is a "fire rainbow" called a rainbow at all?

It displays vivid colors like a rainbow, but it is actually created by a completely different mechanism β€” light refracting through ice crystals inside cirrus clouds β€” making it a distinct phenomenon rather than a true rainbow.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is a fire rainbow called a "rainbow" if it isn't one?

It displays vivid, rainbow-like colors, but it is actually produced by a completely different mechanism β€” light refracting through ice crystals in cirrus clouds β€” making it a distinct optical phenomenon rather than a true rainbow.

Can you touch a rainbow?

No β€” a rainbow is purely an optical phenomenon that only appears to an observer at a specific angle, not a physical object, so you can never reach or touch it no matter how close you get.