Double rainbows are formed when sunlight is reflected twice within a raindrop with the violet light that reaches the observer's eye coming from the higher raindrops and the red light from lower raindrops.

Rainbows form whilst daylight passes via raindrops inside the sky. The light is bent (or refracted) when it enters the raindrop, and however when it leaves the raindrop. This separation of the mild into its exceptional colorations is called dispersion.

• The hues of a rainbow are constantly in the same order, from red on top to violet on the lowest. This is because red light has the longest wavelength and violet light has the shortest wavelength.
• To shape a double rainbow, a number of the sunlight that is refracted in the raindrop displays off again of the raindrop and then refracts once more because it leaves the raindrop. This reflection creates a secondary rainbow above the primary rainbow.
• The secondary rainbow is fainter than the number one rainbow due to the fact some of the mild is misplaced in every mirrored image. The secondary rainbow additionally has the colors reversed, with violet on top and purple on the lowest.

Here are a few additional details about double rainbows:

* Double rainbows are continually fainter than single rainbows, due to the fact some of the light is lost in every mirrored image.

* The secondary rainbow is continually above the number one rainbow, and it has the colors reversed.

* Double rainbows are much more likely to be visible after a thunderstorm when the air continues to be full of water droplets.