Moonbows: Can You Have a Rainbow at Night?

Just like the Sun, a very bright Full Moon can shine enough light to create a rainbow. If it is raining at night and the Moon is low in the sky, the moonlight hits the raindrops and bends just like sunlight does.

Because moonlight is much weaker than sunlight, moonbows are very faint. They usually look like a ghostly white arch in the dark sky. They are one of the rarest weather sights in the world, usually only found near giant waterfalls or during perfect night storms.

You can't see a moonbow every night. To have enough light, the Moon must be almost completely full and very bright. It also has to be less than 42 degrees high in the sky, meaning it must be quite close to the horizon.