Simple Physics

A plane is flying west to east the pilot See’s a full circle rainbow.
1.) Where’s the sun in relation to the plane?
2.) Where’s the plane’s shadow in relation to the rainbow?
3.) Where’s the rain in relation to the plane?

5 Responses to “Simple Physics”

  1. The sun is behind the plane. The shadow is in front. the rain is south.
    Just guessing.

  2. Very good J. you got one of three not bad just for a guess

  3. My guess:
    The sun is behind the plane.
    The shadow is in the middle of the rainbow.
    The rain is to the east of the plane.

  4. Wow, a tee-ball for me and I missed it.

    Zook is right. The rainbow is 42 degrees from the antisolar point (the shadow in this case).

    Of course, there are theoretically 3rd and 4th order rainbows that should be about 40-60 degrees around the solar point (i.e. rainbow and rain behind the aircraft), but I don’t think anybody’s successfully photographed these.

    A couple weeks ago, I saw a spectular corona around the moon:
    http://www.atoptics.co.uk/droplets/corona.htm
    (…though it’s a scattering effect not dispersion and internal reflection like the rainbow.)

  5. Zook Nailed it. I’ve seen a full circle rainbow while flying with my dad – very neat.

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