How does a rainbow get in the sky?

1. 1

   Roo says

   To see a rainbow, you need the sun behind you and rain in front of you. Remember how sunlight has every colour mixed inside it? When it shines into the raindrops, they bend the light and bounce it back out. The colours spread apart, and you see them in a giant bow.

   For ages 4–7
   Hear Roo

   Checked against Rainbows (Met Office)

2. 2

   Why do the colours spread apart?

   Light slows down and bends when it goes into water. Each colour bends a slightly different amount, so they fan out. They always come out in the same order: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet.

   For ages 6–9
   Hear Roo

   Checked against Rainbows (Met Office)

3. 3

   Why is a rainbow curved?

   A raindrop only sends its colours to your eyes when it sits at just the right angle from you. All the drops at that angle make a giant circle in the sky. So a rainbow is really a circle! The ground gets in the way, so usually we only see the top part.

   For ages 8–11
   Hear Roo

   Checked against Rainbows (National Weather Service)

In Lil' Phil, reaching the bottom of this wonder earns a sticker for Roo's collection.

• 

  Why is the sky blue?

  Ages 4–11Roo
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  Why are sunsets orange?

  Ages 4–10Roo
• 

  Where does rain come from?

  Ages 4–9Roo