A rainbow is a curved band of different colors that appears in the sky when sunlight passes through raindrops. It usually shows colors from red to violet, blending into each other.
It combines “rain,” from Old English “regn,” and “bow,” from Old English “boga,” meaning “arched shape.” The name describes its shape and its link to rainy weather.
A rainbow isn’t actually a solid arch hanging in the sky; it’s the light from countless raindrops bending and reflecting at just the right angles to reach your eyes. That means every person literally sees their own private rainbow, at slightly different positions.
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