• Question: In space is it possible to see a rainbow on earth

    Asked by buddingscientist to Adam, Catherine, Karen, Leila, Nazim on 14 Mar 2012. This question was also asked by tonieastup123.
    • Photo: Adam Stevens

      Adam Stevens answered on 14 Mar 2012:

      You can only see a rainbow if you’re in a very particular arrangement with the sun and some rain. You have to have the sun behind you and the rain in front, because the rainbow is generated by refraction and total internal reflection in the raindrops. So I don’t think it would be possible for an astronaut to see one.

    • Photo: Leila Battison

      Leila Battison answered on 14 Mar 2012:

      I don’t think you would be able to, because, as Adam says, the sun and the rain have to be in a very specific alignment. If you fire a hosepipe in the summer sun, you might be able to see a rainbow in the water droplets, but your friend standing next to you, or opposite you, might not be able to see it.

    • Photo: Karen Masters

      Karen Masters answered on 14 Mar 2012:

      Oooh cool question. You need to have the right angle between you, the rain drops and the Sun… I don’t think it’d be possible from space.

      You can see Aurora from space though. Check out this cool video of recent Auroras from the International Space Station. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogtKe7N05F0

    • Photo: Nazim Bharmal

      Nazim Bharmal answered on 19 Mar 2012:

      No, because you need the right angle between you, the sun, and the raindrops in the sky and I think in space you would be so far away that your eye wouldn’t collect enough of the light to see the colours.

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