Multiple choice

A rainbow occurs when the sun is

  1. 40 degrees or less above the horizon

  2. 40 degrees at the horizon

  3. 40 degrees or more above the horizon

  4. none of these

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Rainbows occur when sunlight is refracted, reflected, and dispersed through water droplets in the atmosphere. This phenomenon is most visible when the sun is relatively low in the sky - typically 40 degrees or less above the horizon. When the sun is higher, the rainbow angle becomes too shallow to be visible from the ground, or it may be below the horizon.