Have You Ever Seen A 360*, Full Circle Rainbow?

Not only has aerial  photographer Colin Leonhardt seen one, but he was lucky enough to have caught it on film (is that still a thing?). I can assure you, if I ever see this wondrous sight, my camera will be at home, out of battery, etc. The luck of the Irish I have not. 

In October, 2014, ABC News shared this image and the story, “Leonhardt, 46, who specializes in aerial photographer, was flying back from a photo shoot when the pilot of the plane he was on flew over Cottesloe Beach in western Australia during a rain shower.”  The photo has circled the internet and been shared by many, including NASA.

To witness the rare phenomenon of a circular rainbow, one must be in the air, when the sun is shining from behind through rain droplets. EarthSky.com explained, “When sunlight and raindrops combine to make a rainbow, they can make a whole circle of light in the sky. But it’s a very rare sight. Sky conditions have to be just right for this, and even if they are, the bottom part of a full-circle rainbow is usually blocked by your horizon. That’s why we see rainbows not as circles, but as arcs across our sky.” 

Just, WOW!