What is a rainbow? How is it formed? What are the colors of a rainbow? Why do we get double rainbows? Can you touch a rainbow? Can you get from one end of the rainbow to the other? Can you really a "pot of gold" at the end of a rainbow? What are primary rainbows, secondary rainbows, tertiary rainbows and supernumerary (stacker) rainbows? What are moonbows? Why wrote the song "Somewhere Over The Rainbow", and why is it so popular?
And the most interesting of all: Why am I writing about rainbows? Well, several things have fascinated me since I was a very young (and endlessly curious) girl. These are: volcanoes, sunrises, sunsets, butterflies, human flight (as in skydiving), and rainbows. And I've written and published stories and articles about these topics. This will be a cornucopia of information about rainbows derived from my personal experiences and various sites on the Internet, like the Wikipedia, YouTube and Science.Com.. I will also thrown in the pot (not gold) some fun facts about different cultural and religious beliefs, including some myths and legends on this fascinating subject of rainbows. Ahhh, and some of my artworks, too.
First, let me begin this article with the following poem by John Updike -- a Pulitzer Prize-winning author of more than twenty novels - one of my favorite authors.
RAINBOWS
Short storms make the best rainbows--
twenty minutes of inky wet, and then,
on the rinsed atmosphere's curved edge,
struck by the re-emergent sun
in impermanent and glorious coinage,
mint-fresh from infra-violet to ultra-red,
gigantic, ethereal, rooted in the sea
seen through it, dying a bell-buoy green,
twenty minutes of inky wet, and then,
on the rinsed atmosphere's curved edge,
struck by the re-emergent sun
in impermanent and glorious coinage,
mint-fresh from infra-violet to ultra-red,
gigantic, ethereal, rooted in the sea
seen through it, dying a bell-buoy green,
it has appeared. And when it fades, today,
it leaves behind on the bay's flat glaze
a strange confetti of itself, bright dots
of pure, rekindled color, neon-clear.
What are we seeing? Lobster-pot markers,
speckling the brine with polychrome.
it leaves behind on the bay's flat glaze
a strange confetti of itself, bright dots
of pure, rekindled color, neon-clear.
What are we seeing? Lobster-pot markers,
speckling the brine with polychrome.
- - - - - - - - BY JOHN UPDIKE (2000)
HOW A RAINBOW IS FORMED?
Rainbows form when sunlight is refracted into separate colors by water droplets. The different angles that the light refracts at causes the different colors to appear. We usually see rainbows as arcs due to each individual color refracting at different angles. Though a rainbow spans a continuous spectrum of colors, the human eye usually perceives bands of seven distinct colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. The name Roy G. Biv is an acronym for the colors in order, so an easy way to remember the colors is to remember "Roy G. Biv is a rainbow".
Scientific explanations on YouTube
(The sound is not great, but the presentation is good.)
Part 2 -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZsuZL89Tcs&feature=related
MORE EXPLANATION IN SIMPLE WORDS:
When light and water meet in the sky on a summer's day, for a few moments, a rainbow will appear. Such a beautiful sight! This phenomena of the atmosphere appears during or immediately following local showers, when the sun is shining and the air contains raindrops. A rainbow can best be seen with polarized sunglasses. We cannot follow the arc of a rainbow down below the horizon, because we cannot see those droplets in the air below the horizon. But the higher we are above the ground, the more of the rainbow circle we would see. That is why, from an airplane in flight, a rainbow will appear as a complete circle with the shadow of the aitplane in the center.
The bow is divided into bands displaying the different colors of the spectrum and is formed by the refraction and reflection of the sun's rays in drops of rain. Reflection is simply the return of light waves from the raindrop's surface. Light which appears to be white, is really made up of a mixture of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet light. When a shaft of sunlight enters a drop of water, a part of it does not pass directly through but is reflected from the inner surface and emerges from the side from which it entered. Moreover, it is refracted both on entering and leaving the water drop. This process, repeated in the same manner for an immense number of drops, produces the primary rainbow, which appears in front of the observer, who has his back to the sun. It has the red band on the outer edge which are long light waves and the blue-to-violet on the inner edge which are short light waves.
Another larger bow is often seem outside the primary rainbow and parallel to it. This secondary rainbow is produced in a similar way, but the sun's light is reflected twice before emerging from the raindrop. For this reason, the color sequence is reversed; red is on the inside edge. And because there is a loss of light with each reflection, it is not as bright as the primary rainbow. The region between the two bows is comparatively dark, for it lacks entirely both the once and the twice reflected rays. There is theoretical evidence for a tertiary rainbow , but it would be so faint as to be rarely seen in nature.
Source: Dartmouth.edu - http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/farid/sciencekids/rain...
(Source for the following images: varioius web sites)
Rainbow with a faint reflected rainbow in the lake
Rainbow after sunlight bursts through after an intense shower in Maraetai, New Zealand.
Rainbows may also form in mist, such as that of a waterfall
A double rainbow features reversed colours in the outer (secondary) bow,
with the dark Alexander's band between the bows.
Double rainbow and supernumerary rainbows on the inside of the primary arc.
The shadow of the photographer's head on the bottom marks the centre of the rainbow circle
THE SONG
"Somewhere Over The Rainbow"
(Originally, "Over The Rainbow")
Music by Harold Arlen; lyrics byYip Harburg
Originally sung by Judy Garland in the 1939 award-winning movie "Wizard of Oz"
There have been countless renditions recorded of the song by artists from around the world, including Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Doris Day, Sarah Vaughn, Josh Groban, Katharine McPhee, Jason Castro, Jennifer Hughes, Celine Dion, Beyonce, Jewel, Leona Lewis, Ray Charles, Eric Clapton, Eva Cassidy, The Celtic Woman, Charlotte Church, and many, many more. Each and every one I've mentioned, and whose versions are included below, is beautiful; however, my personal favorite remains, one of the simplest renditions of the song, and it's the one recorded by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole (known as "IZ") of Hawaii. YouTube views of his song reached at least 50 million as of today. His 1993 album "Facing Future" includes a ukulele medley of the song and "What a Wonderful World". His version of the song continues to chart the billboards. IZ died in --- from a heart attack.
Personally, "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" has been the inspiration for some of my stories and essays, which I will include here as separate posts.
Here's the lyrics to the song:
In 2001, the song was named the "Song of the 20th Century" by the Recording Industry Association of America and the National Endowment for the Arts. In 2004, it was voted "The greatest movie song of all time by the American Film Institute.
There have been countless renditions recorded of the song by artists from around the world, including Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Doris Day, Sarah Vaughn, Josh Groban, Katharine McPhee, Jason Castro, Jennifer Hughes, Celine Dion, Beyonce, Jewel, Leona Lewis, Ray Charles, Eric Clapton, Eva Cassidy, The Celtic Woman, Charlotte Church, and many, many more. Each and every one I've mentioned, and whose versions are included below, is beautiful; however, my personal favorite remains, one of the simplest renditions of the song, and it's the one recorded by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole (known as "IZ") of Hawaii. YouTube views of his song reached at least 50 million as of today. His 1993 album "Facing Future" includes a ukulele medley of the song and "What a Wonderful World". His version of the song continues to chart the billboards. IZ died in --- from a heart attack.
Personally, "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" has been the inspiration for some of my stories and essays, which I will include here as separate posts.
Here's the lyrics to the song:
Somewhere over the rainbow
Way up high,
There's a land that I heard of
Once in a lullaby.
Somewhere over the rainbow
Skies are blue,
And the dreams that you dare to dream
Really do come true.
Someday I'll wish upon a star
And wake up where the clouds are far
Behind me.
Where troubles melt like lemon drops
Away above the chimney tops
That's where you'll find me.
Somewhere over the rainbow
Bluebirds fly.
Birds fly over the rainbow.
Why then, oh why can't I?
If happy little bluebirds fly
Beyond the rainbow
Why, oh why can't I?
Way up high,
There's a land that I heard of
Once in a lullaby.
Somewhere over the rainbow
Skies are blue,
And the dreams that you dare to dream
Really do come true.
Someday I'll wish upon a star
And wake up where the clouds are far
Behind me.
Where troubles melt like lemon drops
Away above the chimney tops
That's where you'll find me.
Somewhere over the rainbow
Bluebirds fly.
Birds fly over the rainbow.
Why then, oh why can't I?
If happy little bluebirds fly
Beyond the rainbow
Why, oh why can't I?
AND FOR YOUR MUSICAL ENJOYMENT, HERE IS A LIST OF SOME OF MY FAVORITE YOUTUBE VIDEOS RENDERED BY VARIOUS INTERNATIONAL ARTISTS.
I WILL CONTINUE TO UPDATE THIS LIST AS TIME ALLOWS.
SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW BY ISRAEL KAMAKAWIWO'OLE
SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW BY ISRAEL KAMAKAWIWO'OLE
SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW BY LEONA LEWIS
SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW BY JM & RC
SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW BY – RAY CHARLES
SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW BY FRANK SINATRA
SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW BY johnny mathis & ray charles
SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW BY JM & RC
SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW BY
SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW BY ERIC CLAPTON
http://www.vevo.com/watch/matthew-morrison/somewhere-over-the-rainbow-teaser-video/USUV71100578
SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW BY MATTHEW MORISSON AND GWYNETH PALTROW
SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW BY SARAH VAUGHN
SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW BY ARETHA FRANKLIN
SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW BY JASON CASTRO
SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOWBY KATHARINE MCPHEE
SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW BY JOSH GROBAN & Mireille Mathieu
SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW BY CHARLOTTE CHURCH
SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW BY BEYONCE
SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW BY JUDY GARLAND
SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW BY EVA CASSIDY
SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW BY THE CELTIC WOMAN
In addition to the "Wizard of Oz", here are some of hte movies, stage plays,
and TV shows that used the song:
IN MOVIES:
- The Philadelphia Story (1940, James Stewart, Katherine Hepburn)
- I Wake Up Screaming (1941, instrumental)
- Junior Miss (1945)
- Springtime for Thomas (1946) Tom and Jerry cartoon
- The Truce Hurts (1948) Tom and Jerry cartoon
- Casanova Cat (1951) Tom and Jerry cartoon
- The Glenn Miller Story (1953, The Glenn Miller Orchestra)
- Interrupted Melody (1955, Eleanor Parker dubbed by Eileen Farrell)
- A Patch of Blue (1965)
- The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971, instrumental)
- Dr. Phibes Rises Again (1972, Vincent Price)
- That’s Entertainment! (1974, Judy Garland from The Wizard of Oz, 1939)
- Saxophone Colossus (1986, Sonny Rollins)
- Made in America (1993)
- Sleepless in Seattle (1993)
- Corrina, Corrina (1994, Jevetta Steele)
- That’s Entertainment III (1994, Judy Garland from the Wizard of Oz, 1939)
- To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar (1995, Patti La Belle)
- My Fellow Americans (1996, instrumental)
- Contact (1997)
- Face/Off (1997, Olivia Newton-John)
- Harold Arlen: Somewhere over the Rainbow (1998, Judy Garland)
- Meet Joe Black (1998, Israel Kamakawiwo’ole)
- You’ve Got Mail (1998, Harry Nilsson)
- Finding Forrester (2000, 1-Bill Frisell; 2-Israel Kamakawiwo’ole)
- The Majestic (2001, Chet Baker)
- Unconditional Love (2002, Jonathan Pryce)
- The Big Bounce (2002, Israel Kamakawiwo’ole)
- Stormy Weather: The Music of Harold Arlen (2003, Jimmy Scott)
- Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004, Jane Monheit)
- 50 First Dates (2004, Israel Kamakawiwo’ole)
ON STAGE:
- The Wizard of Oz (1987, Gillian Bevan) Royal Shakespeare Company, London
- Forbidden Broadway 1990 (1990, Kevin Ligon) Off-Broadway satirical revue
- Hakosem! (1994, Michal Yanay) Tel-Aviv, Israel revival 1999
- The Wizard of Oz on Ice! (1996, Oksana Baiul, skater; Shanice, singer) CBS special
- The Wizard of Oz on Ice (1996, Jeri Campbell, skater; Laurnea Wilkerson, singer) touring show
- The Wizard of Oz (1997, Jessica Grove) touring show
- The Wizard of Oz (2001, Nikki Webster) Australian revival
- Wizard: The Music of Harold Arlen (2004) cabaret
ON TV:
- Ford Star Jubilee: The Wizard of Oz (1956, Judy Garland) CBS special
- The Muppet Show (1978, Robin) Season 3, Episode 55
- Rainbow (1978, Andrea McArdle) NBC biopic
- Picket Fences (1993, signed by Marlee Matlin) CBS drama series, Episode 27, "The Dancing Bandit"
- First Do No Harm (1997, Aretha Franklin) made-for-tv movie aired 2/16/97
- Little Girls in Pretty Boxes (1997, Israel Kamakawiwo’ole) Lifetime TV
- Party of Five (1998, Israel Kamakawiwo’ole) FOX drama series, Season 4, Episode 83 "Of Human Bonding"
- Young Americans (2000, Israel Kamakawiwo’ole) WB drama series, Season 1, Episode 1, Pilot aka "The Beginning"
- Gideon’s Crossing (2001, Israel Kamakawiwo’ole) ABC drama series
- Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows (2001, Judy Garland) tv biopic Tammy Blanchard
- ER (2002, Israel Kamakawiwo’ole) NBC drama series, Season 8, Episode 21: "The Beach"
- Pasadena (2002, Israel Kamakawiwo’ole) FOX drama series, Episode 13, "Don’t It Always Seems to Go?"
- Providence (2002, Israel Kamakawiwo’ole) NBC drama series, Season 4, Episode 15, "Act Naturally"
- Charmed (2003, Israel Kamakawiwo’ole) WB
- Chocolate com Pimenta (2003, Luiza Possi) Brazilian TV
- Taxicab Confessions (2003, Willie Nelson) HBO documentary
- Tempted (2003, Israel Kamakawiwo’ole) Lifetime
MORE TO COME.
MARIA NEEDS TO DO SOMETHING ELSE :-)
