Somewhere over the... moonbow: Dazzling arc of colour lights up night sky at Yosemite National Park

By JOHN STEVENS


Spectacular: Sunlight is reflected off the moon to create this dazzling arc of colour in the Yosemite National Park


This dazzling arc of colour soaring across the night sky looks unreal.

But this is no fantasy or trick of the light, it is known as a moonbow, the rainbow of the night.

These rare lunar rainbows can only be seen in a few places on earth.

The Yosemite National Park in California is one of the best places to catch a glimpse of the phenomenon.



Phenomenon: The moonbows are created when light from the moon hits the sprays of water coming off the park's waterfalls


Sunlight reflects off the moon and hits the droplets spraying off the park's spectacular waterfalls.

'A lot of people don't realise that we even get rainbows at night in Yosemite,' said Steve Bumgardner who took these images as part of a new video of the spectacle.



Captivating: The moonbows are best seen when it is full moon and there is more light being reflected into the park



Starry sky: The moonbow looks incredible in the dark sky filled with stars



Rare: The Yosemite National Park in California is one of the few places on earth where you can catch a glimpse of the phenomenon


'If there's a full moon and the sky is clear, the moon, which is just reflected sunlight, is actually enough light to generate a rainbow at a place like Yosemite Falls.'

The remarkable spectrums of lights are best seen at the park during the spring and summer seasons.

'Yosemite is a 24-hour park and its well-illustrated by the numbers of people who are going to go out all night long to take pictures of moonbows,' said park ranger Bob Roney.



Dazzling: These spectacular images are part of a new video made by the National Park to showcase the phenomenon



Catch a glimpse: The remarkable spectrums of lights are best seen at the park during the spring and summer seasons



Attraction: People come from across the globe in the hope of seeing the rare night time rainbows



Gushing: The incredible waterfalls in the Yosemite National Park spray water into the moonlight, which creates the moonbows


'From the night skies and Milky Way to the full moon rising to create these lunar rainbows, the beauty here doesn't end when the sun goes down,' Mr Bumgardner said.

'You can have a unique experience 24 hours a day in Yosemite.'

'It has its own romantic sense to it,' he said. 'It's ethereal.'



source: dailymail

Posted in: News Update