Lunar Rainbow in Kentucky
About the
Moonbow
2009
- 2010 Cumberland Falls Moonbow Schedule Cumberland
Falls State Resort Park
Moonbow
and Lunar Rainbow Links
Click If you have a popup blocker and missed
the moonbow panorama BLUE
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open another window except the Rainbow
ones above
GREEN
Links
open photo
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will use the same window
MOONBOW
{moon bo} n. pl. moonbows 1. Rainbow at night
caused by the light of the Moon. The moonbow is
formed
by refraction, reflection and dispersion of the Moon's rays
in falling rain or
mist. Moonbows form in an area opposite from the Moon in the
sky.*
The arch contains the colors of the spectrum in consecutive
bands. At night the moonbow is faint, due to the low amount
of sunlight reflecting off of the Moon. It's appearance
varies from grayish white, pale colors or just plain
white.
Also, Moon Bow,
Moon Rainbow, Lunar Rainbow, Night Rainbow, White
Rainbow
Scroll
and Click
on the Moonbow
Photographs for more Moonbow
Pictures
"Rainbow at
Night" In the dark, a crowd
of people are huddled around the mighty
Cumberland
Falls.
What could hold the
attention of these folks at this time of
night? Then, as one
approaches, it becomes clear. A faint arc of multi-colored
light reaches from the base of the falls
downstream
to the huge
boulders
scattered along the wild Cumberland
River. It
is a moonlit night rainbow -- a "moonbow". For longer than time
has recorded, people have been drawn to this wondrous sight
at Cumberland
Falls,
on the border of Whitley
/
McCreary
County
Kentucky. This remarkably
rare
natural
phenomenon draws hundreds of visitors each year to
Cumberland
Falls State Resort
Park
in
Southeastern Kentucky
near Corbin. Regrettably, the
moonbow is not an everyday sight. It happens only within a
few days of a full moon on a clear night. It is then that
the moonlight is refracted through the mist that rise up
from the base of the highly debated second largest waterfall
in the Eastern United States. And even during a Full Moon,
sometimes hazy or foggy skies ruin the chance of seeing this
amazing sight. But for those
fortunate enough to witness a moon rainbow, it is truly an
unforgettable
experience.
As might be expected, it is a favorite
subject
for photographers. Casual shutterbugs should know that the
only
way to photograph a
moonbow on
film is to use a camera on a tripod and use a fast film with
a long exposure of minutes. Forget
the flash; it won't work. Only
a
handful
of places in the
world have
moonbows. One is at Victoria
Falls on the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe,
Africa.
Under
certain
conditions,
a seasonal lunar rainbow also can be seen at
Yosemite
Falls in
California,
and a diminished one
at
Niagara
Falls
in New York
state. What are moonbows?
How
does a moon
bow
form? It's
the interaction between the mist refracting light from just
the right angle of the moon. It also helps that, in the case
of Cumberland
Falls deep
in the Daniel
Boone National
Forest,
there are no urban lights to obscure the
sight. The
Falls are situated in such a way as to reflect the light of
the full moon and make a rainbow-like bow. The
best
time to see the
moonbow
is just after
the moon has cleared the ridge looming over the Falls. It is
usually visible about an hour after night fall beginning two
nights before a full moon. Then, add about 30 minutes for
each day, since the moon rises progressively later.
For
more information on the park and Cumberland
Falls Scroll
and Click
Below This
is
Ky
State
Information without the
Moonbow
Schedule
Here
.
and with some
additions and subtractions. I couldn't have explained all
this any better. I hope they don't
mind. 
What is a moonbow?
Rainbows that can form at
night from the light of the moon .
Moonbows are most easily seen
when the moon is near a full moon
What happens when you are under a rainbow?
You can't
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