A rainbow in the night sky (photo)

Photographer Chris Walker was returning to his home in Richmond, North Yorkshire, when he saw this rainbow emerge through the rain.

He said: "I noticed something odd in the sky as I was driving home.

"A near full Moon was behind me and the wind was blowing a gale and rain was being driven from clouds on the horizon.

"The moon was so bright that when I arrived home it was obvious that the object in the sky was a rainbow illuminated by moonlight."

Rainbows are usually created when sunlight is reflected by raindrops, but in this case the moonlight caused the image.

Moonlight rainbows are quite rare as the phenomena requires a combination of very dark skies, the moon at less than 42 degrees high in the sky, and rain falling opposite the moon.

Mr Walker said: "As moonlight is many thousands of times fainter than sunshine the bow is many times fainter and only seen when the moon is near full.

"Even so the eye finds it difficult to discern colours with night vision, but despite that I could even see the red at the top of the bow."

The ephemeral image is reminiscent of the Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights, which illuminate the night skies in polar regions with a beautiful display of colours.

via Rainbow in the night sky - Telegraph.