Finding and Making Rainbows

Whenever I talk about making rainbows, people have difficulty visualizing what it is that I do. Even when I show them photos I sometimes get comments such as, "Oh you paint rainbows on photographs." Yes, the concept of making of natural rainbows is a difficult one to understand. I have been making large scale rainbows for more than 15 years and I still keep learning about them.

The place to start is where children begin. Every kid in America does it, they go out with a garden hose and if the sun is in the right place they make a rainbow. For me, as a bigger kid, I just use a larger hose.

Let's look at some details of the process.

Making Your Own Rainbows

Rainbows are only seen when the sun is directly behind you, low in the sky, and there is a rainfall or mist in front of you. This means the center of the rainbow is always located along a line down your shadow.

Try watering your garden with your back to the sun. Use a misting nozzle or cover the end of the hose with your fingers. Squirt the water down your shadow and there will always be a rainbow for you to see. Wave the hose around to see the full rainbow. It sure makes watering a lot more fun.

If you only see the left half of the rainbow move left or spray more to the right. If you see only the right half, reverse the instructions. If the sun is high in the sky, you will see a slanted rainbow that you will be standing in. How do you know if you are doing it right? That is easy you will see a rainbow!

For the kids that are reading this, summer is here. Get a garden hose. Go outside with your friends and run through the rainbow. Rainbows can be quite refreshing. If you get in close enough not only will you get really wet, but you will get to see a full circle rainbow floating right in front of your face. Yep, I said, "a full circle!" Give it a try.

After you have made your own rainbows you will come to realize we are always surrounded by them. All you need to make them visible is the magic dust of a spray of water when the sun is out.

How to Find Rainbows

Nature only makes its big rainbows when the sun is low in the sky, in the early morning and late afternoon. In this part of the world they will occur before 8:30 a.m. or after 4:30 p.m. during the summer months. Since the sun must be to your back, afternoon rainbows are seen in the East and morning rainbows in the west.

If there is rain off in the distance, and the sun has broken through some clouds, head outside and start looking in the direction of your shadow. Knowing where and when to look, will allow you to see a lot more rainbows.

When you do get to see one, notice the colors. They start with red at the top moving to violet at the bottom. Sometimes there is a second rainbow above the first one. Its colors are reversed and it is fainter. The area between the rainbows called Alexander's Band is always darker than the rest of the sky.

If the rain droplets are small, you can sometimes see a series of pastel bands of color just inside the brighter rainbow. Study rainbows, but more important notice your feelings in the presence of one.

Making Large Scale Rainbows

I start by replacing your garden hose with big hoses and pumps in the form of fireboats or fire trucks. Creating a rainbow for as many as several thousand people is basically the same as what you do with a garden hose, except a bit more complex.

First, I use a computer program to analyze the site. I determine the optimal time and position for the event. I have to know that the orientation and times are such that the rainbow will be able to be seen. Next, I find out the type and capacity of the fire equipment to get an idea of the size of the rainbow. If there is a waterway and fireboats available it makes things very simple. I use fireboats. If there's not a water way I use fire trucks. The fire trucks necessitate concerns over drainage and water consumption. I try to limit the water usage in dry areas to less than $100. This comes to a couple of cents per person and that can be compensated for with my request to bypass flushing a toilet once during the day or skipping one shower.

I always schedule a rehearsal prior to the event to check my calculations and to go over procedures with the firemen/women. Every event is different and every event requires its own special considerations.

Of course, the one thing I did not mention and it is kind of obvious are rainbows only work when the sun is shining. No sun no rainbow! How do I make sure the sun is going to be out when I schedule an event? . My first rainbow was a failure . . . the sun went behind the clouds 10 minutes before the event was to happen. After that I gave up being responsible for nature. I now, request people coming to the event bring the sun with them if they would like to see a rainbow. The events are a collaboration between nature, the people attending, a local fire department and myself. If we are all aligned, it works. By the way, there have been no failures since that first one.

The best part of it all? Seeing the peoples faces, especially the kid's, and getting to work with all kinds of fire departments, and great people.

What Does This all Mean?

I believe the rainbow is the true flag of our planet. So, whenever we see a rainbow, we are viewing the Earth displaying its colors and God's symbol for reconciliation. If more of us pledged allegiance to the Earth's flag rather than dyed pieces of cloth, symbolizing national allegiances, our world would be a much better place to live. Remember this every time you see a rainbow, and feel free to display our planet's flag whenever you feel like making your own rainbows.