About the
Moonbow
2018-
2020 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
Links will
open another window except the Rainbow
ones above
GREEN
Links
open photo
windows RED
Links
will use the
same window
MOONBOW
{moon bow} n. pl. moonbows 1. A rainbow at
night caused by the light of the Sun reflecting off 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. Its appearance
varies from grayish white, pale colors or just plain
white.
Also, Moon Bow,
Moon Rainbow, Lunar Rainbow, Night Rainbow, White
Rainbow *And yes, the observer must
have their back to the Moon, facing the mist.
Scroll and
Click
on the Moonbow
Photographs for more Moonbow
Pictures
"Moonbows" Rainbows
aren't the only
"bows"
in the sky. When the moonlight refracts in raindrops and
causes a pale colored bow, the results are moonbows. An
example of this phenomenon is the mist emitted from
Kentucky's biggest waterfall, Cumberland Falls, a water fall
near Corbin , during a full moon on a clear night. A
moonbow
can be seen at no other falls in the Western
Hemisphere. Info from
The
Weather Class Room
"Rainbow at
Night" In the dark, a crowd
of people are huddled around the
mighty
Cumberland
Falls in
Kentucky.
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
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. This
occurs MONTHLY...Weather and conditions
permitting. 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. Digital works as
well.
Forget
the flash; it won't work. Only
a
handful
of locations 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. Click
here for other moonbow locations. What are
moonbows?
How
does a moon
bow
form? What
causes the lunar rainbow? 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. A
rainbow around the moon is called a lunar
halo. 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.
Things
to bring to a Moonbow or Lunar Rainbow For
more information on the park and Cumberland
Falls Scroll and
Click
Below This is
Ky
State
Information without
the
Moonbow
Schedule
and with some additions and subtractions. I couldn't have
explained all this any better. I hope they don't
mind. A rainbow at night is called a
moonbow or a lunar rainbow.
Here
What is a moonbow?
.
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
-í