Pot of Gold

Rainbows are fascinating and attract people's attention no matter what the age. Rainbows are created when sunlight is bent and reflected by raindrops. This takes place on a day of sunshine and showers so Shetland is an ideal location to encounter one.

                                                                                              One drop of water

The sun needs to come from behind while in front a shower occurs, This bending or refracting of light means it is split into the seven primary colours.

Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet, with red on the outside and violet on the inside. The brilliance of the colours is down to the size of the raindrops, with the larger drops creating the more spectacular rainbows.
I was fortunate to be at Kergord when I come across this one, using a 800 mm lens I was able to concentrate on a few colours which ended up filling the frame. Using the shape of a tree to reinforce the arch of the rainbow. I try to get out in all weathers, using a waterproof cover fro the camera and lens, on this occasion i had only just started a walk from my car.

Double rainbows are created when the raindrops are reflected twice inside each drop, this is when a slightly fainter second rainbow is seen. In this second rainbow the colours are seen in reverse so that the red in the second faces the Red in the first rainbow.

The rainbow is not located at a specific distance, but comes from any water droplet viewed from a certain angle relative to the sun's rays. A rainbow is not an object, and cannot be physically approached. It is impossible for an observer to see a rainbow from water droplets at any angle other than the customary 42 degrees from the direction of the sun. Even if the observer sees another observer who seems `under' or at the end of a rainbow, the second observer will see a different rainbow - further- off at the same angle as seen by the first observer

The most celebrated rainbow in NORSE mythology is BIFROST, which connects the Earth with `Asgard', home to the Norse gods. Bifrost can only be used by the gods and those who are killed in battle. It is eventually shattered under the weight of war. The notion that a rainbow bridge to heaven is attainable by only the good and virtuous such as warriors and royalty, is a theme often repeated in world myth.


The pot of gold that is said to be found at the end of the rainbow for me is being in Shetland !