Get Premium
Dark mode theme is available exclusively for premium users. Learn more about the benefits of subscribing.
No fees, cancel anytime.
Dark Mode 
No fees, cancel anytime 
then open in external browser
and click "Open in External Browser" 
Yesterday, a woman in Long Island, NY named Amanda Curtis was lucky enough to capture the rarest rainbow of them all – a quadruple rainbow. Her incredibly rare photo, and the excitement it inspired among commenters when it went viral, called to mind the viral ‘Double Rainbow’ video by Paul Vasquez.
According to meteorologists, what Curtis actually saw was a double-double rainbow, but that doesn’t make it any less magical. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) research meteorologist Paul Neiman told the Washington Post that the second double rainbow resulted from the sun’s light reflecting off of a nearby body of water; “a large glassy-smooth water surface is required behind the observer. This smooth water surface reflects the sun, such that a second solar light source is generated. This reflected sun […] creates a second primary and secondary rainbow on the opposite side of the sky from the sun.”
(h/t: washingtonpost)
RELATED:
I bet this guy wishes he’d been there!
505Kviews
Share on Facebook
What do you think ?
SusanneBender-Constantino 10 years ago
I think the yellow, a few of you are talking about is the sun coming through. You can also see it on the smaller trees by the second house.
EdnaCabcabinMoran 10 years ago
Not fake. As a pro who uses photoshop, I say study the quality of light--the houses & trees are the same. Also, read about the science.
Vicki D'Ateno 5 years ago
OMG, thank you! I had trouble reading past that.
Load More Replies...
ToddGiroux 10 years ago
The second bow is called a secondary bow. Secondary bows are caused by one extra reflection in water droplets. The extra reflection causes-
ToddGiroux 10 years ago
the secondary bow to have reversed color sequence and a subdued luminosity. In the image there is one primary bow and one secondary bow.
Load More Replies...
dbradley 10 years ago
If there is only one sun how do you get two different angles on the bows?
Ashley Collins 5 years ago
It double reflects through the water droplets. The 2nd one can be above or below but the colors will be reversed (red inside/purple outside) and will be fainter.
Load More Replies...
Angela Colada 5 years ago
Thats sunlight. I'm an extreme critic of fakes and photoshop's and I can tell you that not everything unusual is photoshopped.
Load More Replies...
Jacqueline Iona 5 years ago
I see a double rainbow once in a while and it's a lovely thing to behold but never a quadruple one! That is cool too :)
Cathy Bory 5 years ago
I think she lives ON Long Island, not in Long Island. Absolutely beautiful rainbows-great picture!
Jennifer Cook 5 years ago
🤔 Same exact photo is shown in this Snopes.com Fauxtography post from 2016. Scroll down the article past the first few photos... https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/eight-rainbow-photo/
John Miller 5 years ago
But in that snopes article, the rainbow effect in this photo is described as result of the reflection of the sun off a body of water.. a virtual sun. The snopes article hints a little more about the geometry/optics, but does'nt explain why the two pairs are skewed.
Load More Replies...
Kaliena Storm 5 years ago
Not NY not yesterday This is from 2015 National Geographic https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2015/04/150422-quadruple-double-rainbow-quaternary-tertiary-rain-atmosphere-science/
Susan Harris Horne 5 years ago
People better get on your knees and thank God for that beautiful sign (rainbows)🙏🙏🙏
Kirby Wallace 5 years ago
I think this is fake. Multiple rainbows should all be concentric, following the same arc, course and angle. The would appear as concentric circles, all inside each other, and they certainly would not cross each other's paths.
Erin Holliday 5 years ago
I also have a rare rainbow pic from NY it might take me a min to find it but will post when I do.
Diana Simonini 5 years ago
Well the Lord is telling us something. Do not worry I’m with you.👍👍🙏🙏
Bob Kloppel 5 years ago
God is reminding us of His offer of covenant with all mankind. Covenant is an all-in relationship. There are responsibilities and great benefits. That the rainbow appears four times is tantamount to four exclamation points!! In other words, there is great emphasis upon taking His offer seriously in the present, “for the times they are a changin”.
Rebecca Joan 7 years ago
Ugh...of course it had to be in Glen Cove...I need the emoji with the monocle!!
ToddGiroux 10 years ago
The image is not a quadruple rainbow! This atmospheric phenomena is called reflection bows. When a rainbow occurs, there is ALWAYS a second.
FelipeRibeiro 10 years ago
I believe this happened due to the fact the 17th Karmapa arrived on town
ElaineEverett-Klimas 10 years ago
Has no-one told the guy in the video that all rainbows are double....and to cut back on his meds.....maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan!
RichardPetch 10 years ago
What a plonker, it sounded like he was coming in his pants, we gets this in the UK but we don't put on a performance like this d**k.
Angela Colada 5 years ago
Just cuz you get it in the UK, where I have been to also by the way, doesn't mean it's is common in the rest of the world.
Load More Replies...
ImreBalázsSzentesi 10 years ago
http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.1724466!/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/gallery_1200/st-patrick-day-parade-new-york-cit
HannaZagal 10 years ago
The guy that saw the double rainbow has for some seeped rooted peoblems!
Sky 10 years ago
If they were going to fake it why would they choose a pic with trees that would be hard to edit? Hello ppl!!
AdolfoArman 10 years ago
If there is only one sun how do you get two different angles on the bows? a And yellow part of rainbow in front of tree...
Load More Replies... thelonesawyer 10 years ago
that's just the sun shining on the tree, look at the house below, it's the same color.
Load More Replies...
SusanneBender-Constantino 10 years ago
I think the yellow, a few of you are talking about is the sun coming through. You can also see it on the smaller trees by the second house.
EdnaCabcabinMoran 10 years ago
Not fake. As a pro who uses photoshop, I say study the quality of light--the houses & trees are the same. Also, read about the science.
Vicki D'Ateno 5 years ago
OMG, thank you! I had trouble reading past that.
Load More Replies... ToddGiroux 10 years ago
The second bow is called a secondary bow. Secondary bows are caused by one extra reflection in water droplets. The extra reflection causes-
ToddGiroux 10 years ago
the secondary bow to have reversed color sequence and a subdued luminosity. In the image there is one primary bow and one secondary bow.
Load More Replies... dbradley 10 years ago
If there is only one sun how do you get two different angles on the bows?
Ashley Collins 5 years ago
It double reflects through the water droplets. The 2nd one can be above or below but the colors will be reversed (red inside/purple outside) and will be fainter.
Load More Replies... Angela Colada 5 years ago
Thats sunlight. I'm an extreme critic of fakes and photoshop's and I can tell you that not everything unusual is photoshopped.
Load More Replies... Jacqueline Iona 5 years ago
I see a double rainbow once in a while and it's a lovely thing to behold but never a quadruple one! That is cool too :)
Cathy Bory 5 years ago
I think she lives ON Long Island, not in Long Island. Absolutely beautiful rainbows-great picture!
Jennifer Cook 5 years ago
🤔 Same exact photo is shown in this Snopes.com Fauxtography post from 2016. Scroll down the article past the first few photos... https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/eight-rainbow-photo/
John Miller 5 years ago
But in that snopes article, the rainbow effect in this photo is described as result of the reflection of the sun off a body of water.. a virtual sun. The snopes article hints a little more about the geometry/optics, but does'nt explain why the two pairs are skewed.
Load More Replies... Kaliena Storm 5 years ago
Not NY not yesterday This is from 2015 National Geographic https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2015/04/150422-quadruple-double-rainbow-quaternary-tertiary-rain-atmosphere-science/
Susan Harris Horne 5 years ago
People better get on your knees and thank God for that beautiful sign (rainbows)🙏🙏🙏
Kirby Wallace 5 years ago
I think this is fake. Multiple rainbows should all be concentric, following the same arc, course and angle. The would appear as concentric circles, all inside each other, and they certainly would not cross each other's paths.
Erin Holliday 5 years ago
I also have a rare rainbow pic from NY it might take me a min to find it but will post when I do.
Diana Simonini 5 years ago
Well the Lord is telling us something. Do not worry I’m with you.👍👍🙏🙏
Bob Kloppel 5 years ago
God is reminding us of His offer of covenant with all mankind. Covenant is an all-in relationship. There are responsibilities and great benefits. That the rainbow appears four times is tantamount to four exclamation points!! In other words, there is great emphasis upon taking His offer seriously in the present, “for the times they are a changin”.
Rebecca Joan 7 years ago
Ugh...of course it had to be in Glen Cove...I need the emoji with the monocle!!
ToddGiroux 10 years ago
The image is not a quadruple rainbow! This atmospheric phenomena is called reflection bows. When a rainbow occurs, there is ALWAYS a second.
FelipeRibeiro 10 years ago
I believe this happened due to the fact the 17th Karmapa arrived on town
ElaineEverett-Klimas 10 years ago
Has no-one told the guy in the video that all rainbows are double....and to cut back on his meds.....maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan!
RichardPetch 10 years ago
What a plonker, it sounded like he was coming in his pants, we gets this in the UK but we don't put on a performance like this d**k.
Angela Colada 5 years ago
Just cuz you get it in the UK, where I have been to also by the way, doesn't mean it's is common in the rest of the world.
Load More Replies... ImreBalázsSzentesi 10 years ago
http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.1724466!/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/gallery_1200/st-patrick-day-parade-new-york-cit
HannaZagal 10 years ago
The guy that saw the double rainbow has for some seeped rooted peoblems!
Sky 10 years ago
If they were going to fake it why would they choose a pic with trees that would be hard to edit? Hello ppl!!
AdolfoArman 10 years ago
If there is only one sun how do you get two different angles on the bows? a And yellow part of rainbow in front of tree...
Load More Replies... thelonesawyer 10 years ago
that's just the sun shining on the tree, look at the house below, it's the same color.
Load More Replies... You May Like Magical Rainbow Pics That People Happened To Capture (40 Pics) 168 Brain Teasers That Are An Absolute Pleasure To Solve 150 Euphonious Beautiful Words To Add To Your Dictionary
Miglė
Justina Čiapaitė
Larysa Perih
Related on Bored Panda
176
57