Page 98 - The Glory in the Heavens

A rainbow forms when sunlight separates into seven different
colours while passing through raindrops. Observed from space,
a rainbow is a circle, but we can only see half of this circle.

A rainbow is actually a trick of the light. It consists

of the basic colours of sunlight. Indeed, the white rays
96 of the Sun are actually multi-coloured. These colours

coming from the Sun are called the spectrum. The basic

colours of the spectrum are red, orange, yellow, green,

blue, indigo and violet. The white of sunlight is formed

when these colours are combined. Once sunlight passes

through a drop of rain, the colours that make it up

appear. That is because water refracts, or separates the

colours of, light. These separate colours pass through

the raindrop and refract out at different angles.

Does this seem complicated? If you think it is, find

a crystal glass and flash a strong light through it.

Here, the glass assumes the role of the raindrop. You