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Why can't people see a rainbow as a full circle?

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When sunlight and raindrops combine to make a rainbow, they can make a whole circle of light in the sky. But it's a very rare sight. Sky conditions have to be just right for this, and even if they are, the bottom part of a full-circle rainbow is usually blocked by your horizon. read more

People sometimes see a rainbow as a full circle in an airplane. The horizon is far below the airplane’s passengers horizontal plane. So this provides room to view the whole circle. read more

Riding on a plane looking down on a rain shower that is next to and below you, looking straight away from the direction of the sun, you see a rainbow as a full circle. I experienced this more than once from a light plane. read more

That’s why we see rainbows not as circles, but as arcs across our sky. When you see a rainbow, notice the height of the sun. It helps determine how much of an arc you’ll see. The lower the sun, the higher the top of the rainbow. If you could get up high enough, you’d see that some rainbows continue below the horizon seen from closer to sea-level. read more

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